Beneath the Stars
by Gold Sparrow
Summary: Short stories about our favorite insane little girl and her band of makeshift heroes. Includes beating up Judal, getting hit for no reason, and fluff. FLUFF EVERYWHERE (mostly). These stories are a spin-off to my other story Starry Skies, so you should probably read that first...'Red Snow' is up!
1. The Prank the Oracle Pulled

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

The Prank the Oracle Pulled

* * *

Bad was minding her own business. Just leaving the room, and walking down the hallway like a normal person, when out of nowhere water falls on her.

And it's cold too.

So while she screams at the impact and then slips back on her butt, her entire dress gets wet. Luckily nobody's around to see her epic fail except-

That laughing boy in the corner.

HOW DARE HE LAUGH-

It's okay, it's okay, it's not like he's the one who-

Is that a pully system?

Did he...was he the one who pulled the trigger?

…

…

…

"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE, BRAT!" Bad shrieks at him, jumping to her feet and racing over to him with the speed of a cheetah, flames in her eyes.

But the floor is still wet.

Her face connects with the floor and she groans at the pain flooding in, feeling her hair fall over her head ungracefully. The boy begins to laugh harder, and then falls down onto the ground like she did, clutching his sides and wiping his eyes with his fingers.

"You're such an idiot midget" The teen drawls, chuckling in between words, and pointing a finger at her mockingly.

That…

That stupid…

ARRRRGGGHHHH!

Getting up again and ignoring her internal screaming, Bad is careful in her steps toward him, making sure not to slip again. Looking down at the teen, she recognizes him. That exposing outfit, arrogant crimson eyes and annoyingly complicated ponytail. It's Judal!

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, I'll kick your ass." He opens his mouth, probably to call her a midget again, or say how she can't break his borg, but Bad's leg is already connecting with his jaw and he goes flying, hitting the ground and rolling to a stop. Judal's expression is that of pained confusion, and he stares at her.

"What do you think you're doing mid-" She shoots forward, kicking his chest and sending a punch to his cheek, all while growling,

"Try calling me that again, jerk!" Spinning in the air and landing a few feet away from him, she's able to hear his groan. Standing up, Judal fixes his glare onto her, malice literally oozing from his skin.

"You're going to get it now" He pulls his wand out from his black choli and gets into a fighting stance, his teeth bared like a dog. Bad almost laughs at his lame attempt to scare her. She was too fast for his borg the previous times, and she can certainly beat him despite being a nine-almost-ten year old.

A realization crosses through Bad's mind.

She could beat Judal due to her extension knowledge of magic and spells, yes, but there is two things she is missing that didn't compute when she first picked a fight with him.

One:

SHE IS TEN.

Two:

SHEBA IS NOT HERE BUT WITH EREN.

In other words, she is fighting a **magi** with only her **bare fists** to defend against him.

_Eh, I need to test my skills anyway._

"Bring it, Judar!"

"It's Judal!"

"WHATEVER!"

* * *

Twisting around, Bad dodges his ice spear and punches a hole through his borg, sending glass like fragments of the barrier in all directions. Next comes a kick to the legs making him sprawl to the ground and another kick to the stomach. Then, heaving him up and punching his face, she throws him back down to the dirt and breaths heavily, taking stock of the destruction caused.

The boy is unconsious now, but groans in his sleep, bruises forming on his midriff and cheeks where she hit him multiple times.

A giant hole in the palace wall, trampled flower beds, the lily pond destroyed, and some trees fallen to the ground, not to mention the few craters here and there that are still smoking. As for her, cuts line her arms and a bad bruise on her stomach aches. Luckily (and mysteriously) Bad's not bleeding. Her feet are raw and sore from all the dodging and running she was forced to do, and nothing sounds better than a bath and nap.

The rustling of armor brings her to her senses, and she realizes that the Kou army is headed her way. Sighing, she uses the last of her strength to jump up back into the hole and through the hallway, leaving before anyone can see her.

Bad giggles.

"That was a lot of fun~" Her eyes narrow "_But he better not prank me again._"

* * *

Hi everyone! This is just a little spoof of my story Starry Skies, and I really hope you like it! If you haven't read Starry Skies, none of this will make much sense to you, so I suggest reading it first~

BYE~~~~~~~


	2. Hakuei and Eren's First meeting

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

Hakuei and Eren's First Meeting

* * *

Her first impression of Eren was this-

_Very tall_

Then she took a closer look-

_Muscular_

Then she looked down-

_NOT WEARING A SHIRT_

* * *

His first impression of Hakuei was this-

_Awesome fan_

Then he took a closer look

_Wow, she's really pretty._

Then he looked down-

_Why is she staring at my chest?_

"P-PERVERT! WHY ARE YOU HALF NAKED?!"

"Huh?"

"PLEASE PUT SOMETHING ON!"

"But I am wearing clothes-"

*Smack*

* * *

Hakuei and Eren get along surprisingly well considering she slapped him the first time they met.


	3. The Life and Death of Alice Marsden

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

The Life and Death of Alice Marsden

* * *

Once upon a time, life was simple. She was...how old was she? Seven? And she was in first grade, right? Yeah. That was it.

Seven and a like a doll, some would say. Alice didn't think that was true, but people would say it. People were nice...mostly. Honestly, her seventh year of life was very blurry, but she remembers what really stuck.

Alice Marsden used to have long hair.

Long, pale-as-snow hair that her mother brushed and cut and tended to everyday before going to school, and sometimes after. She remembers a hand, so tiny and fat, reaching up and tugging on it, giggling and squealing when she chased after the culprit.

And when she caught that little criminal, she heaved him into the air so he was in front of the sun. At the time it felt like a rose-tinted memory, even as it was happening. Arms spread wide, joy filling the face, and it's too bright, too perfect.

The pretty filter is gone, and everything becomes clear.

White walls. White furniture. White...everything. She remembers the room, and the monitors all around her. Alice remembers being weak, really, truly weak, and helpless as the doctors held her life in their white-gloved hands.

A woman, someone pretty like a picture and fake like one too, simpering and checking her manicured nails when her father wasn't paying attention. Who was she?

She'd forgotten the face of her father's girlfriend.

"Your mother and I are seperated. Both of us just need to take a break from the stress…" The stress of your only daughter being terminally ill? _You_ need a break? What about her? Sick, sad, pained her? "And I wanted to introduce you to-"

What was her name again?

When he thought Alice was asleep, he whispered something in the woman's ear and glass broke. No- that was just her excuse for a flirtatious giggle. What a-

Her father smiles, and guides her by the waist out of the room, never even taking a look back. Good thing too, because then he'd see her tears that crawled and clawed through her lashes.

"You could have said goodbye…" She whispers, the only thing she said the whole visit.

Harmony. Too pretty a name for such a blackhearted woman.

* * *

The rest really was a blur. When it wasn't light it was dark, when she wasn't sleeping she was awake, counting down the hours until she was tired enough to rest again. It was hopeless, Alice realized, to try to get up. Her lungs, something about her lungs, was definitely wrong. She could barely move, and that meant that she needed to use one of those stupid portable toilet thingys when nature called.

And it had to be a guy to help her do it.

EVERY TIME.

At least she had the soaps to look forward to.

* * *

Years passed like snails, but visits came too often. Sometimes it was just dad, other times just mom. She doesn't remember a time when both were in the same room smiling. But they came at the same time on a few occasions.

They didn't talk a lot, and when they did, it was about the illness, and the test results, and the miracle to save her that probably wouldn't happen. Her father married Harmony. Her little brother, that sweet thing that tugged her hair, turned twelve.

He almost never got to visit. But when he did, he gave her biggest, dorkest smile she'd ever seen and squeezed her hand too tightly for her not to cry out.

When you've been as sick as she, every little pinprick of pain gets amplified a hundred fold. He would always promise to be gentler next time, but he was jock, a football star, and he couldn't help but mismanage his strength.

Her sweet little brother.

She missed him everyday.

From his blond hair that shimmers pale gold when it hit the light, and the bright pools of blue that take up too much space on his face, to the youthful curves of babyfat waiting to be shed and leave behind a handsome man made her love him so much. Plus his over excitement and enthusiasm made her feel…not hopeful. Alice was never hopeful. But maybe…

Happy.

So happy that she wanted to live for the next time she saw him, for the next day and update on the annoying linebackers on his team. Even if that meant listening to Harmony and her dad coo at each other, and her mother's condescending words and tone.

* * *

Ah, but she didn't.

* * *

Pain is different for everyone, Alice was sure of it. Physical pain, mental pain, emotional pain. Each hurts, and each causes a effect on the life of the person, no matter how big or small. Some can handle a lot of pain, but other cannot.

It is not a matter of strength, as much as we would like it to be, but a matter of your will. And having a weak will is not something to be sad about. Who cares if you break easily? It's about what you accomplish that counts.

For Alice, her pain was an agony. She had a weak will, she'll admit. But still…her lungs burned, and her throat was constricted, like she ran a marathon. She wanted to scream, to beg for it to be over, but the air wouldn't come, and the spasms of her body rolled her onto her sides. Vaguely, she felt hands touching her, pinning her to the gurney, but she then began to scream. An animalistic, barbaric scream that echoed out of her mouth and out the hallway, alerting the entire hospital of the pain of Alice Marsden.

The scream stopped abruptly, and she tried to get breath. Once again, it didn't come. She was forced to jerk around like a fish out of water and something...foamy dribbled out of the corner of her mouth, and down her chin onto her throat.

Someone was shouting, and another was whispering into her ear.

Alice had no idea what he was saying, or if it was a he.

Only excruciating agony pounding like a sledgehammer through every nerve in her body.

* * *

Alice met Jane when she was fifteen. She also died about two weeks later, though that is another story for another time. There was nothing particularly interesting about the girl, in fact, there didn't seem to be anything eye-catching at all. She was...plain.

Brown hair. Not like like hot coco, not like dark chocolate. She didn't smell good, but not bad either, sort of like too-sweet-too-sour air freshener, but not strong at all. Her eyes were the same shade as her hair, and they didn't look bored or calm but blank.

Her features blended in with one another so well that she could barely tell them apart. Honestly, she just didn't seem important or newsworthy.

The girl just was.

The uniform- red pants, a white starch shirt and white apron to boot- showed her that this was the volunteer the hospital had gotten to help with the patients. She was carrying something, a yellow bouquet with girly, frilly flowers. She raised an eyebrow and regarded the girl she was to watch.

Alice fought the urge to laugh.

Yes, look upon this stick thin girl with a shaved head, whose blue eyes hold no life and pale skin show the blue and red veins the run across the flesh like the scars on her chest. Laugh at her, mock her, for this is the life she so generously was given.

_Jane,_ the nametage read, _Jane Hullburg._

The girl didn't say a word though, merely set the flowers up on her bedside table in a vase. Then she said, in a monotone voice that was somehow incredibly haunting,

"They're poppies"

"..." She's heard the name before, and a distant, far off memory of the good old days flutters on the corner of her mind, a park and a tour and a ice cold lemonade for the heat of the summer.

"Don't tell me you've never seen poppies before?"

"..." Of course she has, Alice hasn't been here forever.

She has...right?

"Well, they really are pretty" something about that sentence hits a nerve in Alice's heart, and she can almost feel a response slipping off her tongue, into the air, stabbing at the girl and bringing her down. All the anger of being ignored, all the resentment of being sick, all the utter sadness that consumes her each and every day, waiting to be plunged into the back of a volunteer.

But it doesn't come, and instead Alice leans back and calms her rushing heart. She doesn't want hurt again. Don't let it hurt again…

* * *

She grows to like Jane, and she has no idea why. She girl comes again and again, bringing a new flower, and a new vase. A splash of color on a bright, empty canvas. And also, a strange comic. Jane didn't stick around to explain how to read it, but Alice was able to figure it out.

_Magi: the Labyrinth of Magic_

In truth, Alice didn't like it that much. After the second volume came, and the third and fourth and fifth and on and on she was unable to put it down. Jane came in again and again, multiple times a day, each time bringing in a new piece of the comic.

Jane would complain about her schoolwork, and the plot of magi, and the gassy man in room 221 and Alice felt herself cracking a foreign expression that she realized was a smile.

The day Alice Marsden died, she asked Jane a question.

It was the first time the sick girl had asked the highschool senior a question, and the first time she had spoken since her father explained that her parents weren't getting back together again.

"Are you scared of death?" They had been discussing Solomon turning into God, and whether or not his body left back on Alma Torran was dead or not. It seemed appropriate, but they were in a hospital, and one of them was dying.

(Alice might have said already dead)

Jane didn't cock her head, didn't smile, didn't frown, merely be blank. Unreadable.

She was quiet for so long that Alice thought she could almost see through the senior, whose plain features already made it easy to ignore or overlook her despite her being an incrediable genius.

"You sound like a frog" It's true. Her voice, crack with disuse and quiet with nervousness sounded like the croaking reptile. Alice didn't have it in her to glare or speak again, however. "But to answer your question; no. I'm not afraid of death"

"Well...I guess it's because we all die at some point. It doesn't seem like it, but it's true. No matter how smart you are, or fit, or pretty, or brave, you'll die. Some quicker than others, others slower than some. Whatever is beyond this world we just have to bear it, and there is no point fearing the unknown" she pauses, as if contemplating her own words. "Well, you can fear the unknown, but there is no use fearing what is as natural as life"

* * *

The red roses were so pretty. Thank God they weren't the same color as the flames seeping toward her like arms outstretched in a yawn.

"_...there is no use fearing what is as natural as life"_

Maybe there was no point in it, but it was scary. Closing her eyes, Alice Marsden, fifteen years old, dreams about roses and a plain, ordinary girl with a large brain. And Alice Marsden says her goodbyes to her little brother, her bitter mother, absent father and even to self-centered Harmony.

Alice'll figure out what is beyond this world, and then tell them what it's like when they join her. It's the least she can do, right?

* * *

It was just a nice day. Rain clouds had passed, the sun shines in a dim, calming matter. In one wooden house surrounded by a garden sprouting veggies and fruits, a baby's wail breaks the silence and stirs the neighbors, who curse and sputter out their revulsion.

A happy, young, scared mother comforts her firstborn- a girl with tuffs of wild red hair and a cringing face- and shushes her with a tired voice.

A baby has been born.

Catrina has arrived, and Alice has found out the truth- there is no end to her tale. Not yet.

* * *

Hello!

Whatcha' think? I tried! I don't know, this is sort of depressing. But I started to type it and the words kept coming, not to mention the depth I've been able to achieve with Alice. The character you all know is Catrina, who is friendly and welcoming, but you don't know Alice. God, even I don't know Alice.

I never really played much with her life, but then I realized that she has a pretty bad living situation. Her parents are too busy thinking of how to ignore their child's death to give her attention, which leads to self-hate and a bitterness Alice can't help but want to express in any way possible, and her sibling, who is the only one she cared about, never saw only joy she got was at the end of her life with Jane who really was just a stranger who cared enough to come and chat and help, despite being a bit remote and awkward.

Really, Alice is almost a deeper character than Catrina, and I need to start showing that all the characters; Jane and Centola, John and Asad, Charlie and Eren, share some of the same characteristics. They can't just let go of who they were so easily, and I'm now determined to erase the line between the two worlds: ours and the magi world.

Ahem. Done. Thanks for reading! Please review!

BYE~~~~~~~


	4. Halloween Special: Trick, Please!

**S**t**a**r**r**y **S**k**i**e**s**

**B**y **G**o**l**d **S**p**a**r**r**o**w**

**H**A**L**L**O**W**E**E**N** S**P**E**C**I**A**L**: **

Tr**ic**k, P**le**as**e!**

* * *

**8:01 PM, The Kou Gardens…**

* * *

"Everyone here?" The girl whispers, crouched low in the bushes. Several others squat with her, their own grumbles falling into her ear in a rather unpeaceful manner.

"Eren, your elbow is in my face!"

"Catrina, get off my costume!"

"Everyone, let's quiet down a bit, okay?"

"Oh, piss off Cent"

"W-wha- You piss-!"

"Shut up!" the ringleader, the girl, snaps, a biting edge to her voice. Her four companions quiet, but still fidget uncomfortably. The teen on her left, a pretty girl dressed up like gypsy, pouts, hugging her knees from the cold. On the right, a boy dressed like a samurai and another dressed like a boxer shift under her heavy gaze, and the girl next to them, who tries in vain to fix her fairy wings, ignores the glare.

"Sorry Bad" They all chorus, and Bad sighs.

"Let's get ready" And they do, holding up their own toilet paper and looking to the target. Bad slips away, toward the hole in the hedge, and one by one they all get through. "Eren, get your butt through!"

"I can't" Eren's shoulders are too large, and he ends up shaking his head. "I'm going around"

"You'll get caught!" Bad stomps her foot. "Plus it's funner this way!"

"More fun" Centola corrects, and slowly everyone turns to stare at her. "What? Proper grammar!" The garden is quiet, and Eren walks around, hopping the waist high fence with ease.

"'Kay. Let's go!"

"Not so fast!" Whipping around, Bad's mouth goes dry. "WE were here first"

"What?!" She squeals, stomping forward, her black witch costume waving with the movement. "Nu-uh!"

"Yeah-uh!" The boy retaliates, his fake sword swinging at his waist swinging. "We've been waiting here for the last ten minutes"

"We've been here for twenty"

"Thirty"

"Forever"

"Forever and a minute!"

"Not possible, Alibaba!" Alibaba puffs up his cheeks, and Bad does the same. Centola waves slightly at the blue haired boy next to Alibaba, and Catrina shares a smile with the redhead there too.

"Hi Aladdin, Morgiana, Kougyoku"

"Hey Kougyoku" Asad winks at the younger girl, and she goes cherry red at the action.

"Traitors! Don't speak with the enemies!"

"Enemies?" Bad crosses her arms, the staff she had to complete her outfit clutched in her palm. She named it Sheba, though the reason why slipped her mind.

"Yes. I've been planning this attack on Gyokuen Ren for the last month, and I won't let it be ruined by a bunch of losers with...string?"

"I was out of toilet paper" Aladdin admits with a blush, and Bad smiles at him, and replies,

"Oh, it's okay if it was your idea, Aladdin" The gypsy beside Bad tosses her 'weapon' back and forth between her hands, sighing.

"Well, what do we do?"

"We'll stay" The two leaders answer at the same time. "Jinx!"

"Well, how about-"

"Hey, we were here first!"

"Sinbad?!" Yet another group arrives. Their leader, a man with flushed cheeks wearing a pirate costume hiccups as he approaches.

"Sin, there are kids here-"

"NOPE! This woman tried to sue me last month! Imma toilet paper the crap outta her house~" The space is filling up slowly, with Sinbad's eight friends-

Wait.

Eight?

The horror on Centola's face is evident once her aunt Zeina, decked out in her own cat costume, is shown with them, laughing at the drunk pirate who spouts nonsense.

"Auntie Zeina?!"

"Oh please Cent, don't interrupt the show~!" The aunt replies, giggling. Bad steps up, gaining attention.

"This is my target! Please vacate the premises immediately!" Sinbad hiccups again, and shakes his head. Alibaba also stubbornly refuses, and Bad's face goes scarlet. "Seriously-"

"Who's there?" A woman calls, and instantly every person freezes, taking a quick peek at the light flooding out from the open door. In a flash they are all running out the gate, down the road toward their cars. Zeina jumps into her car, and Sinbad flies into the passenger seat as Ja'far, Masrur and Spartos join them. Aladdin tries to keep up with Alibaba, Kougyoku and Morgiana as the door to Hakuryuu's jeep swing open and the teen screams,

"Go, go, go!" At them.

Drakon, Sharrkan, Pisti and Hinahoho hop into Drakon's wife, Sahel's car, and she does drive away, but ignores their pleads for her to go faster than the speed limit.

"Hi Bad!" Yamu chirps as the girl and her four companions rush in, oblivious to the commotion. "I assume Gyokuen heard the ruckus all you idiots were causing?"

"Yep! NOW PUNCH IT!" And they speed off into the halloween night.

* * *

**8:34, Sindria Estate**

* * *

"Seriously Sinbad, that was beyond stupid" Ja'far scolds the man, taking the drink out of his hands. Sinbad pouts, adjusting his vampire outfit and fangs dyed red with the wine. "I can't believe you talked me into going with you fools, Zeina!"

Said woman merely shrugs, her feet dangling inches above the floor from her seat on their nice table. Drakon is getting scolded by Sahel, and Sharrkan, Pisti and Hinahoho trade war stories about what they saw as they were leaving.

"It was fun, admit it!"

"...Why am I friends with you people…?"

"Whelp, let's go finish 'er off!" Sinbad cheers, though only Zeina, Sharrkan and Pisti cheer with him. All the others have sweat drops falling down their foreheads.

* * *

**9:10 PM, The Kou Gardens…**

* * *

Alibaba anxiously watches the windows of the house. The kitchen one is off, and so is the living room, but down the hall a light is on. If they do this, then they have to be extremely quiet. Aladdin and Mor quietly complain about the knee pains from crouching, but Alibaba is adment. Gyokuen Ren had nearly got him expelled two weeks ago for picking a fight with her step-son Kouen, who isn't even school anymore! AND, the entire thing wasn't even his fault!

Payback'll be a bitch.

Slowly he creeps to the front, and the others follow. Pulling back his arm, he prepares to throw it, until-

"Seriously, Prince-y, GTFO"

"Bad, will you just shut up and spare the world your annoying habit of talking?" The little girl glowers at him, and then smiles sweetly at Aladdin.

"Hi Aladdin! Is Alibaba always this mean?"

"Uh...I'm just going to let you two sort that out" The strawberry blonde by her side squints at the house, scanning for movement.

"I'm surprised Hakuryuu agreed to drive you around" Alibaba shrugs.

"He hates his mom with a passion. Ever since he and Hakuei moved out, they never got along" The pinkette nods. "Gyokuen's a-"

"Meanie-poo-poo"

"...Uh, Yeah, let's go with that"

"So…"

"..." They all stare at one another. "Should we…"

"Work together?" Centola suggests, smiling. Catrina, Eren and Asad aren't paying much attention anymore, as Catrina and Morgiana are chatting idly and Eren's looking at the house, already aiming. Asad had taken Kougyoku aside, and now the two talk, Asad shooting the girl dressed up like a princess flirty smirks that should be illegal.

"Eh, might as well" Bad stubbornly agrees, looking away. "But don't get in my way, Prince-y. Aladdin, do you want to teepee over there~?" before anyone can take a step, someone shouts,

"HEEEEERE'S SINBAD!" They look over to the man, who instead of his pirate costume, now has on some sort of ax-murder costume complete with fake blood and a chainsaw. They all gawk at him, and then-

"Hello?" The woman's voice is back. "Trick or treaters?" And instantly they're running again, back into the cars, and far away from the Kou Garden houses that line the plot of land.

* * *

**9:51 PM, Yunan's house**

* * *

"We should just watch a movie" Asad suggests, lazing on the house as Bad paces. Yunan enters with hot coco, nodding.

"That sounds fun! What do you think, sweetheart?" Bad clenches her fist, and then stomps the floor.

"Papa, I promised Judal I'd teepee Gyokuen's house tonight for him so he could go to a friend's house without feeling guilty about ruining the tradition! What'll he say tomorrow when it didn't happen?" Bad runs over and plops down on Asad's stomach, crossing her arms. "I'm in a doozy!"

"OOF! Pleeaase ge...et off!" Yunan chuckles and places the cups on the table. Catrina, Eren, Centola and Yamu soon enter, drawn by the smell. "Heeelp!"

"Bad, please get off Asad" Catrina asks sweetly.

"No"

"Well I tried" Catrina sips the warm drink, looking blissful from the taste. "Wow Yunan! How'd you make this?"

"I have a secret recipe!" the man states proudly. The doorbell rings, and Yunan opens it, smiling at the three children at the door with a bowl of kit-kats in his hand. "Hello"

"Trick-or-treat!"

"Here, take one"

"How about three?"

"uh-"

"Four!" Another child digs his hand into the bowl.

"The whole thing!"

"Wait-" Yunan cries as the bowl is stolen from his hands by the three little monsters, and they run away, splitting the candy between themselves. "My candy!"

Everyone just looks at the man who falls to the floor and begins to weep hysterically. Yamu turns to Bad.

"I'll drive you kids there"

* * *

**10:13 PM, The Kou Gardens**

* * *

"This is getting old" It's a three way standoff, and Alibaba, Bad, and Sinbad are all standing in a circle. "Seriously, some people need to leave"

Alibaba frowns and shakes his head.

"We formed a truce, remember?"

"What?! I wasn't I allowed in this 'truce'?" Sinbad asks, scandalized. The two younger leaders stare at him.

"You showed up dressed like a murderer…"

"...and you were making a 'Shining' reference…"

"Psh, shut up" The adult huffs, puffing out his wolf costume.

_Where is he getting these outfits?!_

Smirking, Bad offers a hand.

"Let's just teepee the crap out of this woman, shall we?"

"Agreed" They say in unison.

"Asad, Kougyoku, get over here and stop being gross! Centola, Eren, you get the hedges and trees with Zeina and Pisti! Sharrkan, Sinbad and Alibaba will get the house, and Aladdin and I will hit up that tree" Everyone one aims, and then, as they release the white paper into the air, the door opens. Staring at said front door, they meet a pair of red eyes.

"Oi, I don't care what you're doing, but don't make so much noise" Kouha says, and slinks back inside. It takes three seconds for his words to process, and then everyone gets back to work.

* * *

The next morning, when the matriarch of the Ren family awakens, she meets with hundres of white toiletries strewn across her house and garden. Narrowing her eyes, she whispers,

"Judal...We talked about this!"

* * *

Somewhere, passed out in a certain redheaded man's apartment, a black haired boy shivers and rolls over onto his side.

"Bad you better have...done that thing…*Snore*"

* * *

Hello! Halloween special = AU! YAY! Fun, right? Well, I hope you liked it! Now it's late so I gotta sleep so...

Happy Halloween!

BYE~~~~~~~


	5. Thanksgiving Special: Squashing Beef

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

Thanksgiving Special:

Squashing Beef

* * *

**In which we once again visit the opposite dimension of the world Badroulbadour schemes in and Centola pines in. A world that has it's own fair share of mix-ups, screw-ups, and blow-ups. Welcome to the town of Magi, which celebrates Thanksgiving...**

* * *

**6:00 PM, Sindria Estate**

* * *

You'd think that being that they all live in the same town and go to the same schools and work under fifteen minutes away from one another, they'd learn to get along. Unfortunately, in the town of Magi, that's in no way true. At all.

"Why are we here?" The girl whines, clutching her mother's dress. Her father gently squeezes her hand and smiles down at her, looking a bit uncomfortable as well.

"I don't like it either, sweetheart, but your mother says we have to so-" The mother reaches over and smacks her husband's arm, glaring daggers at the man.

"Sinbad was kind enough to invite us, Yunan! He wants to make amends" Yunan pouts despite his age, and his daughter giggles. They walk side by side by side down the long entryway to Sinbad's mansion, climbing the staircase to the large front door.

"Bad, your mother only wants to go because she and Sinbad where friends when they were in high school" Bad looks up to her mother, bewildered.

"You and Sinbad were _friends_?" She asks incredulously, gasping. Her adoptive mother, a blue haired woman with a gentle face, rolls her eyes.

"Yes, sweetheart. Sinbad and I were friends"

"Yamu, however, decided to marry me after college and Sinbad and I don't really get along so we ended up having…" Yamu's cold stare makes him stop and shiver. Bad looks back and forth, looking between the two.

"What? What happened?"

"Uh, we have beef" Yunan replies, ringing the doorbell, listening to the sounds of music and laughter behind the lit windows.

"Mama, what's beef?" Yamu glares at her husband and sighs, responding quickly,

"Beef is something you have when you don't get along with another person. Sort of like a problem or past argument" Bad smiles angelically up at her mother.

_I have a lot of beef then._

* * *

Sinbad decided to be a good person.

So, for Thanksgiving, he decided to throw a kick ass party and invite over all the people who like him and all the people who don't.

And it was all his idea.

Yep, one hundred percent him.

And it definitely has nothing to do with the fact that Zeina had teased him a week prior, making fun of the fact that many people dislike him.

Not one bit.

So he forces a smile and tries (in vain) to chat up Solomon Jehoahaz Abraham, who raising one dark blue eyebrow. Other than that, he doesn't move his stoic face. Sinbad is really trying to get on Aladdin's father's good side, especially since their companies are negotiating a business deal. So he makes a joke that Solomon doesn't laugh at and pretends there is no awkwardness in the air.

That's when Badroulbadour appears.

His insides freeze.

_Oh no, no, no, no, no. _

Mentally he wills her to go away, trying to use whatever psychic powers he _might _have to make her leave. But unfortunately, Bad wiggles her eyebrows and mouths, 'I'm coming over'. Sinbad shakes his head and mouths back, 'go away!'. She takes a step, and then another, and then looks curiously down at her feet, and back up with fake surprise. 'They're moving on their own' She replies, shaking her head.

He waves his hands in a motion for her to turn around and go when an ice cold voice says,

"What are you doing?" Freezing, he straightens himself and turns to meet the questioning gaze of Aladdin's father, clearing his throat and chuckling nervously.

"Uhhh, I was just….Inviting over a friend of mine…" Bad arrives. He takes a deep breath and wills her with his eyes to be polite. It wasn't as if he and Badroulbadour didn't get along, oh no. It's just that the girl and him have hung out waaaaaay to much and she's seen him do the most humiliating things.

Which she later relays to her father, Yunan (hate that guy) and Zeina (damn that woman).

"Hello Mr. Abraham!" The pinkette greets sweetly, smiling brightly up at the man.

"Oh, hello there Badroulbadour" The man's stone features soften somehow. "I'm glad you're here. I was afraid Aladdin wouldn't have anyone his own age at _this_ party"

_Wha- wait, what's wrong with my party!?_

"Oh no! But do you know where Aladdin is? I was looking for him" Solomon smiles slightly, gently patting the girl's curls.

"He's with his friend Alibaba over there. I'm sure that he'd love to see you" Bad giggles and nods, turning to Sinbad.

"Hi Mr. Tison*! Thank you for inviting my parents and I to your party!"

"Uh- No problem, Bad. You're always welcome" Smiling, the girl saunters off, and Sinbad watches in amazement.

"She's so polite, isn't she?"

_How does she do that?!_

* * *

**6: 15 PM, Sindria Estate**

* * *

The dinner table consists of seven people.

Morgiana sits next to Catrina, and is listening intently to what the girl has to say.

"So then, Bad and I..." Alibaba is chatting idly with Centola about the party, and Aladdin is listening to Kougyoku tell Hakuryuu a good explanation as to why she should be allowed to move out of the Kou Gardens where Gyokuen forces her to live with her.

"Sup, bitches!" The table's occupants look to the voice, seeing a doll-like little girl smiling innocently at them. "Bad is here!"

Groaning, Alibaba puts his head in his hands while Catrina cheers.

"Um, nice to see you?" Hakuryuu asks, scrunching his eyebrows together.

"Hey Haku! Can I sit next to you, Aladdin?" Aladdin nods, gesturing to the empty chair beside him. Bad squeals and sits, kicking her feet back and forth."Yay!"

"Bad, this is a day of thanks. And I would be thankful if you would leave"

"Well we don't always get what we want, now do we?"

* * *

Alibaba was not in a good mood. He was dragged to Sinbad's fancy Thanksgiving party by his friend Aladdin, and now is forced to sit next to the bane of his existence: Badroulbadour. She's the kind of kid that nobody sees as a bad seed. In fact, in her scarlet dress with the poofy bow and her long pink hair curled in corkscrews, she looks like a little doll.

Except for the sinister grin that is aimed right at him.

And what really, really sucks is that the other members of the table had ditched them, meaning that he was stuck there with the little brat that somehow always ends up annoying him to no end.

"So Prince-y-"

"Name's Alibaba"

"-I heard that you've been snooping around in my business" Bad cups her chin in her little palm, kicking her legs back and forth. "What's that about?"

"W-what- Wh…" He pauses, looking to the ceiling with annoyance. "You're talking about Centola"

"Wow that took you a while" Glaring, Alibaba scoots his chair back.

"What about Centola, Bad?"

"I don't like you hanging out with my precious big sister" Bad smirks "She's waaaaaaaay out of your league, bro" Alibaba's eye twitches.

"If you're going to insult me I'm leavin-

"But I can help you!" She rushes out, smiling wider. Alibaba pauses, squinting down at the girl.

"What?"

"I can help you with Centola, but only if you help me with a problem I've been having"

"A 'problem'? What, someone beating you up?" The pinkette gives him a look that makes him feel a whole new degree of stupid.

"Yes Alibaba, I'm getting beaten up" She retorts sarcastically, and then bites out, "I've just come to realize that while I have enemies, I may need to squash some of my 'beefs' with people" The blonde's mind goes blank. Then, he starts laughing.

"So let me get this straight" He manages, smiling widely. "You want me to help you 'squash your beefs'? Why in God's name would I help you?"

"I already told you. You help me, I'll let you hang out with Centola" Alibaba blinks down at the girl.

"What-?"

"Don't you think it's funny I always am around her when you are? And how unfortunate accidents and mishaps seem to separate you two whenever you're '_alone'_? I can make all that go away if you help me out here" The teen stares at the child.

"You're a monster"

"And we have to squash some beefs. Let's get to it!"

And that's how Alibaba was bribed into helping Bad dissolve her problems.

* * *

"So, you're like a terrible person"

"Yeah, pretty much" The two stand next to the punch bowl, surveying their first target. "And after I filled his glove compartment with the whipcream, I put hair all over it and mixed it up for kicks"

"Ew. Wait, how'd you get the hair?" Bad looks at him and smiles darkly.

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, he found out it was me and we haven't spoken since then"

"And?"

"Annnnd I need a favor from Asad"

"What favor?" Bad rolls her eyes.

"Don't worry about it. Let's get cracking why don't we~" Bad turns away and looks into Alibaba's eyes. "What's the plan?"

"Plan? You'll just go and apologize for it"

"Um, I would except for two reasons" The blonde sighs.

"What is it?"

"One, I don't apologize- it's not in my nature, and two, I'm not sorry" The blonde blinks, processing this.

"You have to. That's the only way to get rid of the beef-"

"No, I could assuage his anger by giving him a gift" The teen throws his hands in the air.

"Then do it!"

"I need your help with that!" Bad tells him what she wants to give the elder brother of Judal, and Alibaba just shakes his head, muttering,

"Do you always use women as a bargaining chip?"

"Not always, but when I'm dealing with love-struck idiots then yes"

"BAD!"

"Well, I'm just gonna lay out the plan for you. To settle all the beefs, we need Eren to help with Catrina, Catrina to help with Kouha, Kouha to help with Kougyoku, Kougyoku to help with Asad, Asad to help with you, and you to help me do everything" she spreads her hands, grinning. "And voila! We are done"

"How long is this going to take?"

"Longer you speak the longer it'll take"

* * *

**6:34 PM, Sindria Estate**

* * *

"Eren!" Eren Chandlen turns to the one who called his name, smiling widely. He opens his arms and the girl flies into them, arms around his neck, giggling.

"How's my favorite pinkette?" He asks once he sets her down, smoothing the curls on her head. She beams, and then greets Hakuei, who had been chatting with Eren.

"Eren, can I ask you a favor?" Eren nods.

"Of course! What is it?"

"Well, I want to make peace with all the people I've smited over the years"

"That's so sweet" Hakuei coos, but Eren knits his eyebrows together.

"You know, there is two things wrong with that: One, what's with the 'smited'? Are you God or something? And two, you don't make peace you make war. That's literally what you do for fun. You have a game called 'Screwing over Alibaba'"

"I know, but I've seen the errors of my ways. I want to grow up with lots of friends and a good childhood. And yes, we've had fun being mean but it's time for me to own up to my sins. Please, won't you help me? I already made amends with Alibaba" She motions toward a table nearby where Alibaba talks with Hakuryuu.

"No way" Eren shakes his head, confused. "You made up with Alibaba?"

"Yes! And Hakuei won't mind if I borrow Eren for a little while, will you?" Hakuei smiles and shakes her head.

"No problem. Go help them, Eren!" The Chandlen sighs and shrugs his shoulders, taking Bad's little hand in his.

"Who do we do first?"

* * *

"Catrina!" Catrina Amala didn't really like Kouha. In fact, she tried to avoid the older teen like the plague. This is due to an incident that is forever known as 'The Chicken Convention', and shall never be mentioned again.

So, that's why she says,

"No" Bad gapes, her lower lip quivering.

"But...but…"

"Bad, anything else, but you know I have beef with Kouha for that stupid little prank he and Judal pulled on me"

"Why does everyone have beef?" Alibaba asks, confused.

"I don't have beef" Eren comments.

"Please Catrina! This could be my Christmas present~" Catrina bites the inside of her cheek, considering the proposition.

"I'll do it" She says slowly, and Bad erupts into cheers "On one condition!"

"Name it" The ten year old states, still smiling.

"I get to smack Eren"

"Done." Catrina looks satisfied, which is the opposite of Eren, who throws his hands up and back away.

"Oh hellllllllll no!"

"Eren, take one for the team"

"I don't know Bad getting hit by Catrina _really_ hurts-" Bad's glare shuts Alibaba up, and then he corrects himself by saying, "Well, I mean, if it's fast then it can't be too bad-"

"No, no, no. I am NOT getting hit"

"Eren...please?" Bad makes puppy dog eyes, and the man sighs.

"Fine. Just not the…"

"In the face" Catrina confirms, aiming her fist. Eren opens his mouth to argue but Catrina's faster, swinging her fist in a arc against his cheek, hitting him with a thick **thwack.**

Bad starts laughing.

* * *

**7:15 PM, Sindria Estate**

* * *

Eren cradles an icepack in his hand, pressing it to his cheek to get the swelling down.

"Sorry Eren. I was trying to find a way out of it, and you agreed so…" Catrina explains, looking regretful. Eren cocks his head.

"So you _hit_ me?"

"Pretty much yes"

"Catrina~! Let's go settling things with Kouha~!" Bad becons, light on her feet. They go over to the table full of Kouha's groupies and look to the red headed teen. Once Kouha actually sees them, he grins and calls for Bad to come to him.

Rushing over, Bad hops onto a chair to the left of Kouha and hugs the teen, giggling as he plays with her hair.

"'Ouha! It's nice to see you!"

"Yes, it is isn't it?"

"Wait, you two get along?"

"Of course we do!" Kouha exclaims, hugging the girl tighter. "She's a doll, isn't she? It's that one I don't get along with" He points to Catrina, who glares.

"Oh, 'Ouha, can I ask you a favor?"

"Of course you can!" Kouha looks tender. "What is it?"

"Admit to Kougyoku that she's older" The Ren chokes on his spit.

"Why in God's name would I do that?!" He's scandalized.

"Because if you do, then you can braid Catrina's hair" The air goes tense. Catrina sighs in defeat, nodding that it's true, and the rest of the group all stare in wonder at the child in front of them.

_What in God's name is she up to?_

"I'm...I'm actually _very_ tempted" The Ren admits, rubbing his chin. "But I don't think-"

"_And_ I'll take you off my chain mail"

"Okay!" The Ren hops up, marching toward his sister. "Let's do this!"

"Chain mail?" Alibaba asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I got some freaky shit going on online, Prince-y"

* * *

"Well, you see, Kougyoku and I are pals, but the other week I sort of got in a fight with her because I told her Asad was flirting with some girls and that was false information."

"Should I even ask why?" Alibaba questions, rubbing his temple. After spending the past hour with Bad trying to fix all her beefs, he is getting a big headache.

_Keep going, Alibaba. Just another hour and you and Cent will never have to deal with Bad again._

"No. No you shouldn't"

_One. More. Hour._

"Kougyoku!" Bad chirps, bouncing over to the girl. Kougyoku forces a smile.

"Hello, Badroulbadour"

"Ooohh, full name" Eren winces and shakes his head back and forth. "Not a good sign"

"Look, about our fight last week, I'd like to present a gift as a form of apology" Kougyoku crosses her arms.

"I don't think anything you can say would-"

"Kougyoku, you're older than me" Kouha comes forward, clenching his fist and grinding out the words. "You're my..._big_ sister" The teenage girl's jaw unhinges, falling open. Then she starts laughing. Kouha goes red before grabbing Catrina's arm and dragging her back to his table to braid her hair.

"Oh my God!" She manages, giggling. "That was good, I'll admit!"

"So you forgive me?"

"Well…"

"I'll take you off the my chain mail~"'

"Deal!"

"Of course, that's if you do me a favor" Kougyoku twists her lips, scrunching up her face.

"What sort of favor?"

* * *

**7:34 PM, Sindria Estate**

* * *

They all sit at the table, and Alibaba lays his head in his elbows, watching the dancefloor. On it, Kougyoku and Asad dance a lively waltz, gliding effortlessly across the floor. Aladdin and Bad are there too, although both are blushing heavily and they stumble on one anothers feet. Morgiana and Hakuryuu laugh (at least Hakuryuu does) as they glide together as well, and Eren and Hakuei are sharing jokes at the children they dance beside.

Kouha is braiding Catrina's hair, making several small ones at the base of her head and then combining them toward the base. They're smiling at one another, obviously made up after the problem they had in which there were live chickens involved. Alibaba shivers.

_I'm thankful it wasn't me_

Aladdin stops dancing to go talk to his mother and father, and Bad goes up to the sitting Alibaba.

"Happy Thanksgiving" She greets, standing beside him. Her cheeks are flushed.

"Yeah, happy Thanksgiving...How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"All tonight, you went around convincing people to do things for you, and then when it came down to it, it was all so that Asad would get a dance with Kougyoku" Bad frowns, and then her face softens, a smile forming.

"Come dance with me!" She exclaims, holding out a hand. Alibaba raises an eyebrow.

"No thank you" He deadpans. Rolling her eyes, she pulls on his arm and forces him up, pulling him to the dance floor. She's much shorter than he is, and so her hands are on his forearms and his are on her shoulders. They do a gentle sway, back and forth, and Bad is grinning happily.

Alibaba smiles a little bit.

"You know, Alibaba, I didn't just do this for Asad"

"Yeah?"

"Well think about it. I've settled the score between me and many of those who were upset with me, and also stopped some feuds that have been going on for a long while. Besides that though, I also got Asad to do something for me"

"What?" Bad averts her eyes and grins wider.

"Well, I had him call Judal and pick up a special package for you!" The blonde tenses.

"A special package?"

"Yep! And here it is!" A finger taps his shoulder, and he turns to face-

"Cent?!" Centola smiles widely, engulfing him in a hug.

"Ali! I'm here!"

"How?" The strawberry blonde takes Alibaba and starts to dance with him, shooing off the pinkette who shoots him a knowing look and goes off to glomp Aladdin some more.

"Well, Judal called and said that he was coming to pick me up because Asad told Bad to. Apparently she had to have me come because of some promise she made to you?"

Alibaba goes pink.

"W-well…" Centola laughs, and the music seems louder, more welcoming. The laughter more prominent, the smiles brighter. And suddenly it doesn't matter that they're at Sinbad's mansion, or that he's done everything so that Bad would leave them alone, because he realizes that it was _fun_. Like during Halloween when they teepeed Gyokuen's house, and the entire situation was much funner at the end than it seemed at the beginning.

And even though they live in the same town and go to the same schools and work minutes away from one another and really should get along but don't, they're having a good time with one another, and that's good enough.

For now.

* * *

Bad - Alibaba helps her settle her beefs.

Alibaba - Asad gets Judal to pick Centola up from her house for the party

Asad - Kougyoku's dance

Kougyoku - Kouha's admission that he's younger

Kouha - Gets to braid Catrina's hair

Catrina - One free punch on Eren

Eren - Bad's asks him to do it

* * *

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Man I'm having a good week! Busy, but it's been fun, especially since my Onii-Chan is back from college and I get to glomp him whenever I want~ I hope you all are also having a wonderful Thanksgiving and a wonderful week. I know I am!

_Mr. Tison:_Sinbad's hometown is Tison village, so I decided to give him that last name.

_AU: _This is the same universe that Halloween Special was in, and I'm planning on making all the Specials to be set in this world. Yes, there will be more~!

Once again, Happy Thanksgiving from Badroulbadour, Centola, Catrina, Eren, Asad and everyone else!

BYE~~~~~~~


	6. Christmas Special: The Mistletoe Dilemma

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

Christmas Special:

The Mistletoe Dilemma

* * *

**Once again we visit the parallel dimension of the world Badroulbadour breaks and Centola fixes. A world that has it's own fair share of fights and make-ups. Greetings from the snow covered town of Magi, which celebrates Christmas…**

* * *

**12:48 PM, December 23, The De Coverna Clinic**

* * *

"Feeling good?" Zeina asks, finishing up her report on her clipboard. The girl nods, smoothing down the gown the doctor had made her wear.

"Yup!"

"Good. I'll see you again in a few months, Badroulbadour"

"Okay! Oh, Mama wants you and Centola to come over to our house for Christmas Eve dinner!" Zeina smiles and nods, picking up her curls and using her pencil to make a bun.

"Sounds good! I'm sure that Catrina and Eren will be there as well, right?"

"Heh, you're right! You can invite a plus one if you'd like. But no Salujas. Except Kassim, that guy is chill" Zeina throws her head back and laughs, nodding.

"I'm sure Centola will probably invite Kassim then. But if she invites Kassim, Alibaba will be sure to show up"

"Eh, not everything will be perfect. The 'no Salujas' is my rule, so I doubt my parents will care" The blonde woman nods and helps the pinkette down, patting her hair.

"Alright, I'll call your mom"

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hello Yamu!"

"Zeina, for the last time this is Sinbad"

"Oh. Wow. You sound like a woman over the phone"

***Beeeeeeep. Sorry, your call has been disconnected***

"Aw, Sinbad, again?"

* * *

**3:23 PM, December 23, Centola's room**

* * *

"So we don't invite Alibaba" Kassim states, grinning.

"What? We have to!"

"Think about how funny this shit'll be! We'll be having a good time at Bad's and then when he realizes where we are he'll freak out!" Kassim cackles, throwing himself down on her spinny chair by her desk. Giggling despite herself, Centola shakes her head.

"We can't do that! Although he did freak out when we went to Bad's birthday party without him…"

"No, but his meltdown won't be the best part," The darker skinned teen sits forward, eyes gleaming mischieviously. "He'll crash the party!"

"He wouldn't"

"Five bucks says he will!" Centola pursues her lips and then rolls her eyes.

"Fine. I'm in"

* * *

**4:29 PM, December 23, Sindria Estate**

* * *

Ja'far was really having a good day.

He had finished putting up all the Christmas decorations in his house downtown, and also settled all his and Sinbad's paperwork for the week, meaning he'd get the next few days off for the holidays.

Sinbad had invited him over to 'hang out', but then the truth came out.

***Nice to meet you, where you been? I can show you incredible things. Magic, Madness, Heaven, Sin-***

"Hey can you get that?" Sinbad asks, cringing.

"...Your ringtone is Blank Space by Taylor Swift?" Sinbad just stares at him.

"Just pick up the phone" Ja'far sighs and does so, and knows why Sinbad was cringing.

"Hello?"

"Hell- Oh, hi Ja'far." blanching, the advisor steadies himself. "It's Khadeja"

"Yes, I realize that"

"Good for you." She deadpans. So this is why Sinbad invited him over: to deal with the blackhaired woman. Khadeja is the one person other than Zeina that can really get on Sinbad's nerves, and thus he usually hands them off to his pale friend. "Is Sinbad there?"

Sinbad makes a puppy dog face.

"...No. What is it that you need?"

"Zeina asked me to call to ask-"

"No."

"What?"

"I said no" Khadeja makes a sound so low and rough that it sends shivers down Ja'far's back.

"Ja'whore, I'm going to tell you what Zeina wants, and you're going to listen you little albino-" Ja'far holds the phone away from him and tells her,

"I'm going to hang up now"

"I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE-"

"Thanks Ja-" The purple haired CEO turns to stone the second Ja'far pins him with his gaze.

"Did you hear that crazy bitch, Sin?! She knoWS WHErE I LIVE"

"C-Calm down, it's not like she's gonna actually go to your house"

* * *

**6:51 PM, December 23, The De Covernas House**

* * *

"So he ignored you too?" Zeina laughs, and Khadeja looks ready to murder the freckled employee of Sinbad. Khadeja rolls her eyes, finishing washing her dishes. Centola smiles at her, and instantly the black haired woman relaxes.

"I'm sure they probably thought it was a prank" Centola soothes, unbraiding and rebraiding her hair. "You two have done that many times to the poor boys"

Khadeja pats the girl's long strawberry blond hair.

"I'm still gonna beat up Ja'whore"

"Ja'whore?"

"That's the nickname she came up for him once she found out he had a one-night stand ten years ago"

"Ten years ago?"

"Prude ain't had another one since" Khadeja explains, laughing. "I'm so excited to go over to Yamu's" Khadeja changes the subject, and Zeina nods.

"Me too. It's gonna get crazy, especially once Sinbad hears what I want to ask him!"

"I invited Kassim, and we made a bet on whether or not Alibaba will crash"

"Five he won't" Khadeja bets.

"Five he will!" Zeina interjects.

"You're on!"

* * *

**7:14 PM, Ja'far's House**

* * *

***Knock, knock, knock***

"KNOCK, KNOCK, MOTHERFUCKA!" Khadeja yells through the door, pounding on it with her foot. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees the curtain flutter close. She goes around the side and hops the fence, rushing to the back door before he can lock it. Busting through, she grabs Ja'far by the shirt and drags him outside, the pale man yelling unkindly the whole way to her car. "We're going to Sinbad's and then you're going to tell him what I'll tell you, GOT IT?!"

Ja'far turns even whiter than he is, a feat that she _almost_ commends him on.

* * *

**8:29 PM, Sindria Estate**

* * *

Sinbad thinks this is the farthest the self-proclaimed servant had ever gone. Ja'far is greener than a shrub, and he's being carried around the waist by one arm, his stomach on the woman's hip.

"Yo, Sinbad." Her voice is ice-cold. "_Ja'far_ has something he'd like to tell you"

His advisor is set on the ground. Hesitantly, he begins.

"Z-Zeina wants to know if you'd like to go to Yamu's house for Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow" Sinbad's eyebrows shoot up. That's why she'd been calling.

"Well?" Khadeja asks sharply. "Are you?"

"Uh, um-"

"If you say 'no' Ja'whore's gonna get it" Ja'far gives him a weak glare that promises pain.

"In that case...Yes"

* * *

**9:33 AM, December 24, The Saluja's House**

* * *

"Why wasn't I invited?!" Alibaba screeches, throwing his hands up. Sharrkan chuckles from the kitchen, and Kassim scowls.

"Bad imposed a 'no Salujas' rule"

"WHA- That little brat!" Then he pauses. "Why do you get to go then?" The older teen grins.

"Because the rule only pertains to you and your brothers. Although Sharrkan could go if he'd like" Said man pops his head out the door.

"I'm going to Masrur's tonight! But tell the old witch 'thank you' for me!"

"Bro!" Alibaba whines. "Why would he say 'thank you'?!"

"For giving me a night without my annoying sibling, duh" Kassim deadpans.

"Hey!" Sharrkan comes into the living room, glancing at the two roughhousing boys. In his hand, a soda is opened, though Alibaba still doesn't know why he felt the need to come all the way to their house for a drink.

"You know Alibaba, because Kassim was away at college during Thanksgiving, this is sort of like a make-up party!" The blonde stews.

"Whatever, I'll just-"

* * *

**12:32 PM, December 24, Amala Supermarket**

* * *

"Good morning, Bad" Greets a cheery red head. Beaming, said little girl hugs her around the waist and then proceeds to look around the store.

"Morning, Catrina! Wow, you and your family really went all out on the supermarket!" Decorated with fake snow and large Christmas tree ornaments, the store looks cheery and sparkly, even more so than the usual. Giggling, the Fanalis-Amala gathers up a barrel of apples and nods in agreement.

"Mhmm! Dad's jealous we didn't get to decorate his dojo since we were so busy over here" Bad follows the girl who sets up the display, her black and orange apron crinkling with her movements.

"Are you still coming to my house for dinner tonight?"

"Yessir! But my dad can't come because he's having dinner with his pals tonight. My mom's coming though!"

"Yay!"

"How about you go check on Eren across the street? I'll see you later!"

* * *

**12:39 PM, December 24, Hakuei's Fabric Store**

* * *

"Eren~!" The man turns in time to have a blur of pink hit him square in the chest. He drops the large rugs he'd been holding and goes down, wrapping his arms around the girl.

"What the heck, Bad?" A giggle is what he gets in return.

"Hey, you're coming tonight, right?"

"Uh, yeah. I invited Hakuei to come with since her brother is going out with Judal, Asad and Kougyoku" Sitting up, he avoids the gazes of the costumers. "My boss is awesome, not gonna lie"

"I still can't believe you work here! You're so freaking big I bet you knock all the shelves down" He rubs his head sheepishly, setting Bad down and standing up.

"I did do that once…"

"What?"

"What? Oh yeah, I'll see you tonight, gotta get to work again!" Pouting Bad gets up.

"Laaaaame~ No one has time to play with me!"

* * *

**2:22 PM, December 24, The Wazir* House**

* * *

"Yunan!" His wife calls from the kitchen, "Can you come in here?" Putting the finishing touches on his masterpiece of a wreath, the man does so and sniffs the air to get a whiff of his wife's Christmas mash potatoes.

"Mhmm!" He hums, coming up to the island. "What's up?"

"Can you make a list of those who're coming?" Yunan nods. Getting out a notepad, Yamu cooks and names the guests.

"Catrina, Aishia, Morgiana, Eren, Hakuei, Centola, Kassim, Five bucks Alibaba shows up, Aladdin because Solomon is working tonight ("Not surprised" "Just 'cause you dislike Solomon doesn't mean you gotta be an ass!"), Um...Zeina, Khadeja, Ja'far and Sinbad!" Yunan pauses on the name Sinbad.

"No way _that guy _is coming over" Yamu sighs.

"Come on, we said Zeina could invite anyone"

"And she's inviting him to piss me off!"

"Bad likes him" Yunan huffs and finishes the name very angrily, setting the pen and notepad down.

"But...but…!" Yunan turns his watery eyes toward her. Then he whines, "_I don't like Sinbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad_"

"Why did I marry you?" Yamu groans, rubbing her temple. He smiles frailly, eyes glittering with his tears.

"And now you're stuck with me" When he leaves the room, he adds an evil laugh for good measure. "MWUHAHAHA!"

* * *

**6:58 PM, December 24, The Wazir House**

* * *

The party was in full swing.

And Sinbad is now in a deadly situation.

"What do you mean…" Zeina drawls out, her eyes narrowing. A note to all male readers: if a woman ever starts a sentence with 'what do you mean', get your ass out of the room as fast as possible. However, Sinbad is stuck in a corner and Zeina looks as murderous as a former-beauty queen/doctor can be. "...I have a lot of male friends?"

The purpled haired man had had a lot of alcohol. And in the midst of an argument with the insufferable Zeina, those ill-fated words slipped out.

"Uuuhhh" Is his intelligent response. "Well, I, just, um-"

"Are you calling me a slut?"

"No, no- I am not-"

"Hey Auntie…?" Centola prods, looking up to the ceiling.

"Not now Centola, Sinbad's on the verge of getting an ass-whooping" Centola pokes her aunt's shoulder once more.

"But Auntie, look-"

"Cent-" Sinbad looks. And what he sees makes him quiver. No way.

_No way. Not happening, no, no, I deny-_

_Wait._

An idea pops into his head, and it might just get him out of this position. Grinning like a fool at Zeina's unsuspecting face, he winks at Centola, who pales.

"Thanks Centola!"

"Oh no, she'll just get madder Mr. Tison*-"

Swooping down, he kisses Zeina De Coverna right on the mouth, thanking Yunan and God and whoever else rules the world that a mistletoe hung right above that very spot.

"Oh boy…" Centola groans, slinking away to get the image of what she just witnessed out of her mind.

When he pulls away, she's flushed and dazed, blinking hard.

"What were we talking about…?"

"Sports"

"Oh. Okay." Zeina turns around, and then she spins back on him, raising her hand and smacking his cheek as hard as she could. "WHAT THE HELL SINBAD?!"

_So close._

* * *

**7:14 PM, December 24, The Wazir House**

* * *

The doorbell rang, and the entire house waited with bated breath. Bad was taking last minute bets, and achingly slowly Yunan walks to the door. Some people, like Morgiana and Catrina, are bold enough to peek their head into the entryway and watch the Wazir open the door.

"Oh, hello _ALIBABA!"_

An eruption of cheers and a low undertone of boos comes from the party-goers, some who lost and others that won. The Saluja teen looks in, his eyes knitted together, and Yunan pulls him in front, showing him off like a prize won at the fair.

"Alright, Alright who bet that Prince-y wouldn't show!" Bad coos, snickering at ploy. By not inviting Alibaba, she was able to trick everyone into gambling about whether or not he would come.

Alibaba's mouth hangs loose at the girl's proclamation.

"YOU ALL SUCK!" He shouts, going over to Kassim and Centola and accepting the hugs they open their arms for.

"Shhhh…" Kassim soothes. "They're all jerks" Over Alibaba's opposite shoulder, Centola glares at him for being condescending.

'You're an ass' She mouths, and he winks at her.

'But an entertaining ass' He mouths back.

* * *

**7:30 PM, December 24, The Wazir House**

* * *

Dinner was mashed potatoes, chicken, steak, steamed asparagus, peas, gravy and a nice caesar salad, all prepared by Yamu herself. Yunan had showered his wife with complements, who in turn blushed and lightly tapped her husband's arm. After that, Yunan smirked at Sinbad, who's eye twitched at the sight of his former best-friend with his current worst-enemy.

Bad had giggled.

"Catrina, I got you a gift!" Bad tells the Fanalis-Amala, who beams once she hears the words.

"Really? Well, I got you something too!"

"We always get gifts for each other" The twenty-one year old Chandlen shakes his head, "Why do you two always act like it's a surprise?"

"Teehee!" Alibaba was forced to be squished between Sinbad and Zeina, partially because that's the only space available, and mostly because Zeina looked ready to slaughter the rich man for his stunt by the mistletoe.

"Oh, Aladdin, I got you a gift as well!" The blue haired boy smiles.

"Wow, that's so nice of you Bad! I'm sorry I didn't get you anything…"

"That's okay!" Bad is practically bouncing out her chair with excitement.

* * *

**7:36 PM, December 24, The Wazir House**

* * *

"So Sinbad." The icy words make Ja'far freeze, and Khadeja stabs an asparagus on her plate with her fork. "What's this I hear about a 'mistletoe dilemma'?"

_Thank God this woman isn't talking to me._

Not that he hated sitting next to Khadeja, but the curly haired woman was about as friendly as a porcupine. He had suffered through most of the meal listening to her chat with Zeina about how much they hate _idiots_ who do _stupid_ shit.

Like drunkenly kiss classy, sophisticated women.

Like hang up on polite, kind women.

He and Sinbad had shared looks that both said, 'we-are-in-deep-doo-doo'.

So after this question is posed, Sinbad chokes on his food, and gives Ja'far the most terrified look the freckled man has ever seen in his entire life. It said, 'I forgot to feed the cat', 'help me' and 'tell my mother I love her' all in one grimacing, wide-eyed expression.

_He doesn't even have a cat._

Sinbad mumbles a response, and Khadeja takes Ja'far's hand. For a second, Ja'far thinks her hand is really warm and nicely-fitted in his own. She knits their fingers, smiles warmly at him, and even though he is twenty-eight and shouldn't fall for this sort of sweet BS, like a teenage boy he lets his guard down.

Until she started squeezing.

Very, very hard, until his fingers fade from bright red to purple and he is trying not to look constipated.

"Siiiiiiin" He hisses. This is a you or me situation, and Ja'far is teetering on the edge.

"Stay strong Jaffy!" Sinbad urges, panicked. "Come on, do it for our _friendship_"

"OUghoawjegouohgo!" Ja'far feels like he's gonna barf, staring at the mess of his hands. It's numb now, and Khadeja had pinned his other hand to the table. "Oh God…"

"Ja'far! Hang on!" Sinbad pleads. "Do it for my masculinity!"

"What?" Vaguely he hears Zeina asks.

"If I tell Khadeja what happens, I'm fairly certain my manhood is at stake"

"Manhood- Oh, you mean she's gonna rip your-"

"Children at the table!"

Finally, because he can no longer take it, Ja'far tells the truth. Sinbad is scandalized.

"Ja'far!"

"Sorry Sin, but better your balls than mine!"

* * *

**7:46 PM, December 24, The Wazir House**

* * *

"Cent, what is your 'servant' doing?" Centola puts a hand up to her face to sheild her vision from the sight of her aunts (because Khadeja is practically related by how close she is to the two De Covernas) doing bodily harm to Ja'far.

"Please don't ask" She begs Kassim, who snickers. The table was one very long one, with Yunan and Yamu at one end and Bad and her friends at the other.

On the right side, it is Bad, Catrina, Morgiana, Centola, Sinbad, Alibaba, Zeina, Yamu and then on the left side it is (from Bad's end) Aladdin, Eren, Hakuei, Kassim, Ja'far, Khadeja, Aishia and Yunan.

"Dang, this party is dope!"

"Say dope again and I will end you" Centola promises Kassim, who rolls his eyes.

"Please, our friendship is unbreakable!"

* * *

**8:01 PM, December 24, The Wazir House**

* * *

Yunan is a good husband.

Yunan is a good father.

But Yunan is not a good host. So, despite the chaos it will bring, he decides to pull a prank on his guests, and a prank he does pull.

He enlists the help of his adoptive daughter, who giggles and hugs him, praising her father for being so engenius, and together they watch as the trouble ensues.

The first guest leave at 8:01, Ja'far complaining that he wants to have a good night sleep before Sinbad calls him tomorrow morning to scream, 'MERRY CHRISTMAS' into the phone. Khadeja sighs but still walks with him to the front door, which is thankfully hidden away from the sight of the dining room table, where the occupants feast on Yamu's chocolate peppermint cake.

"Khadeja's taking you home?"

"She forced me to come with her"

"I was going to see to it that you kept your promise" Khadeja shrugs nonchalantly, looping her elbow around Ja'far's. The grin she directs at him can only be described as 'scary'. "Let's go~"

They open the door, and the second they stand in the doorway Bad yells-

"Wait!" Pausing, the pair looks back.

"What is it?" Ja'far asks, and Bad points to the ceiling.

"Oh God" Ja'far states in a small voice.

* * *

**8:34 PM, December 24, The Wazir House**

* * *

"You guys too?"

"I wanna make my dad hot chocolate for when he comes home" Catrina's cheeks turn pink. "Sorry!"

"Oh, no problem Catrina! I'll give you your gift tomorrow!"

"Okay!" Morgiana and Catrina step into the doorway, and Aishia is a step behind them.

"Wait!"

"What is it?" The kind Amala mother asks, and Yunan points upward. "Oh dear…"

* * *

**9:35 PM, December 24, The Wazir House**

* * *

"Aw, Eren, Hakuei!" Hakuei giggles, patting the child's head.

"Hey, Zeina is still here! I know you like her!" Bad pouts, but nods all the same. A second later, when Hakuei joins Eren in front of the open door, Bad yells,

"Hey, isn't that…"

They both stare up and share a look.

"Bad, you're the one who did that, didn't you?!"

* * *

**10:07 PM, December 24, The Wazir House**

* * *

Centola, Alibaba and Kassim were next. Pulling on her coat, Centola had no idea what was about to happen until both the boys, wanting to be first, huddled in front of the door.

"Hold it!" Yunan interjected this time, and the three teens all stared questionably at him. He tips his hat and says, "Look up"

Laughing, Centola stares at the two boys who go cherry red.

"How do we solve this problem?

* * *

**11:27 PM, December 24, The Wazir House**

* * *

In Yunan's opinion, it took waaaaaaaaaaay too long for Sinbad to decide to leave, and he too came with Zeina who had stopped speaking to him for the moment. Although his face was priceless when he looked up and saw what everyone else had faced, awe turning to fear as the woman beside him glared so piercingly Sinbad thought he was about ready to die, Yunan didn't think it really made up for how much he had to put up with from the eccentric man.

Well, _maybe_ it was worth it.

* * *

**12:01 PM, December 25, The Wazir House**

* * *

It was quiet except for Yunan and Yamu cleaning up.

Bad and Aladding sat in the family room together, on the couched, curled up with their sides touching, a blanket thrown over them.

"Don't be sad" Bad whispers, holding Aladdin's hand under the blanket. "He'll be here soon"

"Yeah…" Aladdin nods, looking down.

"He works in Alma Toran, right? That city is huge! Not to mention far away. But I bet he'll be here any second!"

"Thanks Bad" Aladdin smiles very timidly, squeezing her hand. "But it's okay. I know my dad works hard for his company, but I can understand _why_. Ever since my mom died during childbirth...He's worked hard so I could have a nicer life than what he and mom did growing up. He wants to make sure that...That I can live a good l-life…"

"Hey…"

"I'm n-not crying"

"I know, that's just a blob of make-up from when Zeina kissed your cheek. Here, let me just wipe it...All gone!"

"Thanks" He whispers once again.

"Oh, I know!" Jumping up, Bad runs to their sparkling and heavily decorated Christmas tree, pulling out from under it a neatly wrapped present. "Your present!"

Sitting up, Aladdin inspects the blue gift in his lap, looking at the design of bells all over the box-shaped item. He picks it up, finds it to be a bit heavy, and then shakes it, hearing something jingle around.

Carefully he peels the wrapping paper from the white box, slowly but surely shaking off the lid and then picking up the object. He inspects it, and then unwraps the tissue paper. When the item falls into his palm, he gasps, holding it up.

"Surprise!" Bad throws her hands up. "I found the flute you had been talking about!"

"I thought I lost it!" The boy grins. "You found it?"

"Mhm! Last week, I saw something glittering behind our school's bleachers, and it was the flute your uncle gave you" Beaming, the girl blushes. "Are you happy?"

"Yes! I love you, Bad!" Throwing his arms around her, he notices that her skin has turned a volcano level warm.

"Yes, w-w-well, I-I-I-I-I r-r-r-r-r-really l-l-l-lo-"

***Ding, dong***

Never has Badroulbadour ever felt so pissed off in her entire life than in the moment that Yunan opened the door and there, panting with a red nose, Solomon Jehoahaz Abraham stood. Aladdin hops up and runs into his father's waiting arms, and that makes her anger dissipate some what.

"Dad!" Aladdin wraps his arms around the man's neck, burrowing into the fleshy part of his shoulder. "You're here!"

"I came as fast as I could. I'm sorry I missed the party, Al. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah! Bad found my flute!" He holds it up like it's the most precious item in the world, and Solomon chuckles, smiling at Yunan and Bad, who had moved over and clutched her father's pant leg.

"Thank you, Badroulbadour"

"Yeah, thanks Bad! You're my best friend! Well, my best friend my age, at least!" Blushing and smiling shyly, the girl replies,

"No problem"

"Hey dad, look, Mistletoe!" Solomon gazes upward at the green and red berried plant, and his eyes soften. He kisses his son's cheek, and then thanks Yunan, leaving the Wazir household.

A second after the door closed, Bad throws it open again.

"Wait, Mr. Abraham, Aladdin!" They look back, and Bad smiles widely.

"Merry Christmas!"

* * *

Ja'far and Khadeja:

"This is stupid" Ja'far is red, but whether from anger or embarrassment is unknown.

"But Khadeja, Ja'far, isn't it a rule you have to kiss whoever is under the mistletoe with you? Isn't it only right for the holiday?" Bad makes a puppy dog face, jutting out her lower lip and looking pleadingly up at her two adult friends.

"Eh, well-" Ja'far tries to smile and fails.

"Don't wreck my daughter's dreams!" Yunan steps forward, pulling the dejected Bad into his arms. "It's for Christmas!"

*Sigh*

"Fine. Ja'far, I'm going to kiss you" The black haired woman rolls her eyes and grips the front of the shaking advisor's shirt.

"Wha- No, stop- mmmm!"

* * *

Catrina, Morgiana and Aishia:

"Oh dear…" Aishia begins to giggle, and Morgiana looks down, alarmed and unsure of how to handle the situation.

Catrina blows Morgiana a kiss, and the Fanalis girl pauses, slowly kissing her palm and blowing one back at her friend. Catrina laughs and loops their arms.

"Let's get home!"

* * *

Eren and Hakuei:

"Aw, that's cute!"

"Hey, you tricked us!" Bad stiffles a laugh and hides behind Yunan, who pleasantly smiles. "Ugh, in front of my boss, really?"

"It's fine" Hakuei goes up on her tippy-toes and lightly peck's Eren's cheek. The Chandlen gulps and goes red but then nods.

"Y-Yeah it's fine...I guess…"

* * *

Centola, Kassim and Alibaba:

"How...Is this going to work?" Alibaba asks, being as he, Centola and Kassim were all standing beneath the cursed Christmas plant. Bad shrugs.

"Figure it out!" She crones, and Centola brightens.

"I know!" She points to the boys on both sides of her and then pokes her cheeks, tilting her face upwards. Kassim and Alibaba glance at one another, but then, sighing, they lean down and lightly kiss her cheeks.

* * *

Sinbad and Zeina:

"No." That was Zeina's simple answer, though Sinbad seemed to be alight with teasing remarks.

"This must be fate~!" The purple haired man joked, nudging her arm. The De Coverna looked more and more pissed as the minute passed.

"I said no."

"But Zeina…" Bad's eyes glisten, and instantly the two adults are caught in her trap. That, and Yunan gave them a gentle look that some how said, 'make-my-daughter-cry-and-I'll-kill-you'. Zeina offers Sinbad her hand, and the man takes it, pressing a very quick kiss to her knuckles.

"Happy?"

"Very!" Sinbad doesn't know who her birth parents are, but the father must be the devil himself.

* * *

**12:32 PM, December 24, The Wazir House**

* * *

"Cleaning?"

"Done."

"Bad?"

"In bed"

"Presents are wrapped?"

"And under the tree!" Yunan inspects their handiwork and Yamu beams with pride for everything being done so quickly. Last year they were up till four finishing up cleaning and present placing.

"Good work, Mr. Wazir"

"Even better work, Mrs. Wazir" Yunan wraps his arms around her waist and Yamu lays her head on the crook of his neck. The peaceful sounds of the clock and the twinkle of the Christmas lights calm them, and with a light heart Yunan nudges his wife.

"What is it?" She watches as he holds something green and red above their heads, and laughing, she squeezes his arm. "A mistletoe!"

"Bad and I had a lot of fun tonight with this!" The blonde husband leans down and kisses his wife, thinking to himself,

_Funny how none of them noticed it's plastic._

* * *

**2:03 PM, December 24, The Wazir House**

* * *

Silently, Bad takes the hidden camera from it's hiding place and slips back into her bedroom, looking through the photos with a sinister smile.

"Blackmail...Mwuhahaha!" She whispers.

* * *

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

*Wazir House: Yunan's name comes from _The Tale of the Wazir and the Sage Duban_ from the One Thousand and One Nights, so I figured this suited him.

*Mr. Tison: Sinbad's home town is Tison village, so I figured I might as well call him by that last name.

HAVE A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS AND WINTER BREAK, MY PRETTIES!


	7. Eren and Juliet

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

Eren and Juliet

* * *

They had landed that day in Reim, in a city of pure starlight and street lanterns, one which Eren remembers with a vivid and unusually accurate perspective considering the long list of things he's forgotten through the years.

His companions, the newly eleven Catrina and eight year old Badroulbadour had begged him to take them to the festival that would happen that night, and so Eren, with heavy shoulders and a rolling of eyes, gave into their childlike whims.

"Eri, Eri, look! Masks!" Bad darts into the stand, emerging with a mischievous grin seconds later. She guides them to an alleyway, and from the lumpy sash around her waist produces three glittering masks. Catrina squeals.

"But you had no money...?" She giggles nervously as the child nods. One of the masks is a phantom of the opera sort, and she hands it to the Fanalis-Amala who admires the painted orange wing along the side. Bad herself puts on an full-face mask adorned with fake pink roses, both painted and paper, and leaves the last of the three, a silver eye mask shaped like a cat, to Eren. He slips it on, smiling, and then motions to the two to come enjoy the party with him.

They stroll from stall to stall, gaining food and trinkets with slips of their fingers and laughing with one another at their foolish and dangerous game. The lanterns glow off of blond hair as the people of Reim greet them and slap their backs in welcome, ushering the tourists further into the streets and to the square.

The square, the square! With colored paper illuminated by moonlight and lanternlight, a multi-colored glowing crowd dance and move to the trained musicians, who beat their feet in rhythm to the hearts of each individual, playing faster and faster until the people hollar for no reason and joy springs to the throat. Eren picks Bad up so she isn't trampled, and dances with the girl, spinning in circles as Catrina takes his free hand and mimics their movements, pulling him closer and closer to the center of the fray. The pinkette laughs, throwing her hands up, and Catrina jumps up and down, avoiding the frantic feet of fellow dancers.

The song ends, but another one starts, and the three repeat the actions over and over again, dance after dance, until they are spent and collapsed on a bench for three.

"That was fun!" Bad exclaims, sleepily resting her head on Eren's shoulder. "Eri, can you get me a midnight snack?"

"It's not even nine, brat" Eren chuckles, and Catrina yawns.

"Really? I feel so tired…" Eren smiles, picking his two girls up and feeling a spark of affection as they clutch his clothes and lean their tired heads against him.

"Big brother…?" Bad asks, snuggling into his warmth.

"Mhm?"

"Have you ever been in love?" Eren almost stops walking, but continues on, avoiding the party-goers who still have energy to last for a few more hours.

"I love my family-"

"Not blood relations"

"I love you two-"

"We love you too, big brother" Catrina whispers, blinking up with her tangerine eyes. "But what about with a girl?"

"With a girl…?"

"Or a guy, if that's your style" This time he does stop, spying the half-asleep eight year old in his arms. "Seriously, we don't care"

"Girls" He affirms, getting a better grip on them and starting to walk again. "But no, none. I was only sixteen when I left my mountain, and it was sort of hard to be truly interested in anyone in my compound considering we were all technically related"

"Technically isn't completely" He looks down at them, once more.

"What?"

"Excuses, excuses" The girls giggle, and say nothing more. He goes to the hotel, greeting the innkeeper who smiles at him, and he sets the girls down on their bed. They snuggle into one another, the small pinkette curling into the redhead. He watches them for a moment, and then leaves, shutting the door quietly behind him.

He contemplates returning to the streets, but then smiles ruefully, sitting on the floor with his back against the door.

"A girl, huh?" There was one, actually. Further back in his memory, a girl appears. He was sixteen, a hunter of his compound. She was fourteen, a wonderful chef.

To him, her eyes glittered like the moon, a powerful light green that lit up the world, matched with darker pine colored hair like his that stretched to her hips.

The first time he saw her, a spark of attraction entered his very being, lighting up something he never knew existed.

From then on, he liked to watch from the doorway as she hustled through recipes with ease, filling the kitchens with wonderful smells. His mother Uzza praised her with joyous tilt to her voice, and Eren always wished that she might look up and see him like he always saw her.

And one day, she did.

He was rounding the corner when she was running as to not be late to the kitchens, and they ran into one another. Eren lost his balance, and being the unstoppable pack of muscle he is, fell onto his back.

Eren had groaned, and then opened his eyes.

_She fell on me._

Oh yes, she fell on him. And when her own eyes opened, she looked at him. Really, _really _looked at him.

It was love at first sight, for both.

Eren helped her up, and asked her name.

"Juliet" She replied, a blush climbing it's way up her neck. "And you?"

"Eren" Juliet beamed, and then stopped, and then beamed some more when he asked her if she needed to be escorted anywhere. He thought about Juliet nonstop from then on. From her appearance to her intelligence from her passion of cooking to the sewn cloth she gave him to study.

Night and day, night and day.

Juliet and Eren spent time together and laughed and chatted and he even stole a kiss or two, but then a terrible thought occurred to him

They were _related_.

As in, cousins. Distant cousins traced back to the same ancestors, but cousins all the same. And it made a bit of him sick to be around her and fall even deeper in love.

(Because to Charlie, it was _**wrong**_)

Eren loved her.

(But it was _**wrong**_)

And another thing- she was fourteen. Fourteen. What kind of sicko was he that he'd fall in love with a fourteen year old?

(But wasn't his sister, Azusena, fifteen when she married? And it wasn't as though they'd be married right away either-)

He went for a hunt to clear his mind. And as it turns out, it was that day when he met Badroulbadour in a hidden Dungeon.

He hasn't seen Juliet since, but every now and then the eighteen year old thinks about her.

Eren returns to the streets.

He licks his lips, not used to being without companions, and rubs the purple and blue bag around his neck. Eren had no trouble seeing over the crowds being as he is (being 6'5'' will do that for a person) and rolls with the cheering citizens toward the action, slipping the mask back over his head.

As time progresses, he loses all doubts. Wine is poured into his cup, laughs are shared with strangers, and a feeling of freedom settles into his chest. He enters an arm-wrestling match and wins, plays a game of tag with children who tire quickly, and shares flirtatious winks with young ladies.

He's in the middle of heading to the dancing square once again when he spies something and stops in the center of the street.

A rose growing alone in a small pot. He goes over to it and sighs, picking it from the ground without much resistance. The Dungeon Capturer smells it and walks back to where Badroulbadour and Catrina sleep, looking up at the stars.

_What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet._

_ So Juliet would, if Juliet she wasn't, and a Chandlen, neither._

* * *

And there's your prescribed dose of bittersweet romantic Starry Skies fluff! Yay!

I'm reading Romeo and Juliet in my English class right now, and I wanted to write a little something based on it. Originally Eren was suppose to go out on the town and fall in love with a Reim lady named Juliet, but I decided to do a little bit of character dwelling instead and have his first love be a girl in his compound named Juliet. Eren has been mentioned to get sidetracked a lot thinking about morality and the differences between this world and the last, but I don't think I've ever really showed it. Then I thought, what if he loved a girl he was related to and had a giant moral problem with it?

But then he met Bad and ran far away from his old home.

So, character development. Yay!

BYE~~~~~~~

(P.S. This sort of fits in with Valentine's day coming up, doesn't it? Love at first sight! I was in a romantic mood~)


	8. Valentine's Special: Love Stories

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

_Valentine's Day Special:_

_Love Stories_

* * *

Today.

Yes, today was the day.

_That _day. The one that adults take so seriously and young ones foolishly play around with. The one that involves romance~

You know it.

I know you know it because _everyone _knows it.

Oh yes, Valentine's day.

Where sweethearts kiss and children express their childish love for their friends.

Love.

That is where we'll start.

Instead of going to the town of Magi, we'll be staying in our story's universe, and here I will spin tales of love that you all will learn is a actually just hollow truffles. Starts out sweet until it gets empty.

* * *

King and Queen

With Sinbad and Zeina, their relationship was muddled in its term and meaning, but one thing was for sure- when around each other, they were not subtle in their emotions.

When they walked together, Sinbad would take Zeina's hand and knot their fingers, and the Temptress would use her free hand to grip his bicep as they walked the way, thus making people think they were a couple.

(They've done it for as long as they've known each other, from Reim to Heliophat to all the Kingdoms they've traveled to together. Even as adults, the actions weren't lost in the naivety of youth)

Or, Zeina'll be cooking- though this one pertains more toward their teen days- and Sinbad will come up behind her, nose buried in her hair and arms looped around her waist.

(Ja'far will never say it, but when he used to see it happen, something warm grew in his chest. It was like when he was around Hinahoho and Rurumu, except these two were the people who had wormed their way to the center of his heart. They were like _parents_, but he won't ever voice the words he thought when he was twelve)

If Zeina wasn't around, Sinbad would have women around to play with, flirting and laughing as they climbed on his lap. But when Zeina _was _around, Sinbad's body language always shifted toward the blonde woman. _Always_. It didn't matter if a skimpily dressed girl was trying to get his attention, he would smile at Zeina and the woman who smile back, gesturing for him to get rid of the entertainer(s) so she could sit on the edge of his throne.

(Only once has Hinahoho seen Zeina _voluntarily_ sat on Sinbad's lap, and when she did the King didn't hold her like the showgirls he usually had sitting there, but rather with hands that ghosted over her skin, like he was afraid she might change her mind and get up if he touched her. And they'd spoken in such soft tones, intimacy dropping like a thick, private blanket over them as the woman shifted and sometimes touched his robes and he looked so much more...Happy than he was with other women)

Other times, the purple haired man would wrap a casual arm around her waist and they'd sit or walk or just chat, as if his arm's placement was the most natural thing in the world.

(Of course, it almost was for those weird two)

Although, this is the way things _used _to be.

Sinbad and Zeina _used _to act this way, _used _to have a complicated relationship that many knew was much deeper than the King's usual flirtatious flings because it was...Real.

As teens they acted this way, as young adults they acted this way. But then Zeina left, went off to handle her businesses and thus leaving a hole in Sindria's fabric.

(To Zeina's kinsmen, the matriarch departed from the fun-loving adventures with her old friends to manage their family's livelihood. To Ja'far and the generals who knew Zeina, she abandoned them, despite becoming a friend and mother-figure. To Sinbad, Zeina ran away from him. To Zeina, she sacrificed the only chance of living with an ounce of stability)

Sinbad worked hard to fill that hole.

Things aren't easy between the two anymore.

Sinbad no longer holds the Temptress or sends her saucy grins. Zeina no longer latches onto the King's arm or sits on his lap.

Because things have changed, and positions have become clear.

Zeina, matriarch of mysterious group, user of a rare and manipulative magic and leader of a world wide spy network.

Sinbad, King of a powerful nation and founder of a coalition of nations, and a Dungeon Capturer holding seven Djinn.

They are almost enemies now, just like they were not-actually lovers once.

* * *

Husband and Wife

"Husband and wife" Yamu smiles, patting Yunan's arm. The man smiles as well at the unsuspecting innkeeper, who nods and gives them the room key.

"We don't have to lie, you know" Yunan chuckles as Yamu quickly opens the door, depositing her bag on the bed in a unladylike fashion. "You've been using the 'husband and wife' bit for years"

"Ever since I was fifteen" She flashes him a grin. "Now hurry up, I wanna go~" Yunan shakes his head.

"I'm a magi, you could just ask me"

"Books are more reliable" The mage states, undoing her pigtails tied at the ends and instead putting her hair into a bun. "Besides, this way I can reread the lines and soak it all up! The library here is amazing, I never seen it!"

The blonde sighs.

"Okay, but after this trip let's go back to the Rift, okay? It's too bright up here" Yamu rolls her eyes.

"Okay Mr. Can't-stay-above-ground" Yunan pouts.

"Don't you like our home?" Her eyes grow soft.

"Of course I do. But not all of us are allergic to light, and I like to get out sometimes" Yunan smiles.

"Why do you think I always take you where you want to go?" The magi teases, and Yamu giggles, smacking his arm as she pases him to exit the door. He drops his back except for his staff, and follows his 'wife' out the door and into the bright city, all the while whispering so quietly that only his lips moving make out sound,

"Why do you think I always follow you into the light, no matter how painful?"

* * *

Boyfriend and Girlfriend

When Bad met Aladdin, she went by a different name.

When Bad met Aladdin, she was a different person.

But her feelings are still the same, so she supposes she has a right to tell this tale. The tale of before they were lovers, when she was innocent to the world and he- for some inexplainable reason- loved her careless and stupid self.

"Where are we going?" She asked him. It was a bright morning, and in the distance she could hear a strange buzzing in the grass.

"I promised King Sinbad I'd take you to his Kingdom, but I figured it would be nice to take you on a trip first" He explains, motioning to the expanse of farmland and the thin road they tread. "You've never seen the world, right? Well, I can probably show you around then!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I can show you the world*" Aladdin smiles, shifting the bag on his back. "Alibaba won't be happy I ditched him, but Ieft a note so…"  
Bad giggled, adjusting her long dress. The two eighteen year olds walk along quietly.

"Hey…" She asks softly, and Aladdin looks to her.

"Mhm?"

"...Do you think...They hate me?" He stops in the middle of the road. She stops too, unsure if she was the one to make him do the action. "Lord Ala-"

He lurches forward, grabbing her elbows and looking down at her with an intensity she's unfamiliar with. The magi doesn't shake her, but he does have a strong grip, and a sort of strange worry lodges in his face.

"Why would you think that? Never think that. Has someone-?" He questions her, searching her face. Scared, her eyes water and she looks down, not looking at his face as she breaks his hold and launches into his arms, trying to hide in his blue robes.

"I-I'm s-sorry" She whispers, hugging him tighter. Sighing, the man hugs her back.

"Don't be, _" Aladdin apologizes. "I was stupid to get upset and scare you like that, especially when I know you get intimidated easily"

"Is that w-why yo-ou've taken c-care of me?" Bad stutters, embarrassed. "I know you s-saved me but...You didn't have to go to these lengths for me…"

"I can't help it, it's hard for me to control myself around you anymore" Aladdin smiles. "I've fallen for you"

Bad looks up at him and knits her eyebrows.

"'Fallen for me'?" She repeats slowly, confused. "I don't understand...Did I trip you?" The blue haired youth chuckles.

"I guess...It means I'll be your protector from now on, okay?"

Later, much later, Bad would ask a lady what that meant, 'to fall for someone'. The woman looked at her strangely, but then smiled like she knew a funny joke, and explained,

"It means that a man has fallen in love with you, silly girl!"

It would be longer a wait until she realized she felt the same way, that the protection and warmth and the reason she felt pulled to his open arms was because the strange feeling in her chest was love.

Add three days more for her to confess, and another week for Aladdin to reveal that he fell in love with her when he first laid eyes on her, though he didn't know that the strange feeling in his chest was love.

By that time, they had reached Sindria, and were officially dating.

(Alibaba had cried over the fact that Aladdin got a girlfriend much easier and sooner than he ever did)

After that, the timer on the time she had left with Aladdin started ticking, and she didn't even know.

(The signs were there, but she didn't see)

And while they were happy, so happy together traveling the world, a few things would soon put a wrench in their focus.

(Put a wrench in Aladdin's focus. He got careless because of her. She lead him to ignore all the telltale incidents that _showed _that Al Thamen was still around (even if she didn't know it))

She distracted him.

And the world paid for her love.

* * *

DONE.

***I can show you the world:** Hahahahahahahahahaha if you get it then I guess I made a funny!

***Titles: **Hey, did you notice the similarity in the names~?

Aww, only three stories? That's sorta sad. I wanted to right a cute ModernAu where it was an auction of all the female characters but I got tired and didn't have motivation or time, so this is not only late but short.

:(.

But, I hope you like the ZeinaXSinbad, YamuXYunan and BadXAladdin I've supplied for this lovely day, and I can't wait until I can publish the next chappie of Starry Skies! ILY MY DARLING READERS~!

BYE~~~~~~~


	9. Mother's Day Special: SS Mothers

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

Mother's day Special: the Many Mothers of Starry Skies

* * *

To Zeina, it was not just another sunday, but rather a day to be weary of. Why? Because she had to tread as carefully as a tightrope walker around her many adoptive/screw-it-you're-mine-now children who battle for attention. When she woke up, and opened the door to her bedroom and peaked out, sighing thankfully that those kids from her sister's orphanage Zeina sponsors didn't come to her house this year. That's not to say that she doesn't like those sweet little boys and girls, but last year was…

**Clang**

**Smash**

**Rattle, rattle**

...Yes, it sounded _just _like tha-

Coming out of the doorway and praying that it's just Centola and Khadeja making breakfast, Zeina walks down the hallway and enters the kitchen.

Well, Centola and Khadeja are there, alright.

But so is Alexio, Dream, Masrur, Ja'far, Sharrkan, and a cluster of other kids. Her jaw hangs open, and then closes.

"Ja'far? Why are you, Rory and Sharr here?"

"We came…" Ja'far tries, sounding a bit flustered. "We came to make you breakfast...B-but that's because the kids asked for help!" Speaking of said children, they all swarm around the awakened blond, pulling on her nightgown and shouting their hellos.

"Well, hello there- Aw, Alexio, come here- Hi Dream! How are you-" They all ask for attention at once, resulting in a dizzied doctor.

Centola giggles.

"Who wants to serve Zeina her pancakes?" All the children's arms shoot up at once, running back into the open kitchen and squirming past the spatula wielding Ja'far. The three grown-up men come shuffling over to her, and she giggles.

"Good boys~! The older siblings have to take care of the youngers, after all~!"

"Yeah, we invited Sinbad to come but then he started muttering about how we never do this for him on Father's Day and we decided to ignore him" Sharrkan cracks his neck, smirking widely. Zeina laughs and gives each of the three a hug, greeting them fondly.

"Masrur, why haven't you been practicing at Catrina's family's dojo? I heard she confessed to you-"

"_We do not speak of it_."

"Hey Sharr! When are you getting a girlfriend?"

"Oh my God you're such a mom"

"Ja'far, has Khadeja harassed you yet today?"

"Keep your voice down! _She might remember_"

"Remember what?" The self-proclaimed servant breathes right behind the freckled advisor, who jumps and scrambles away like a chicken.

"Remember- um- you know-"

"Aw, you two are adorable~!" Zeina sighs, patting Khadeja's arm. "I'm so glad you started dating her, Ja'far!"

"What are you talking about? I didn't-"

"Yes, it was a great choice Ja'far" Khadeja starts grinning, throwing an arm around the pale man. "I'm so glad you finally grew a pair"

"Awww! Adorable!" Zeina is whisked away by her mass of adoring children before Ja'far can protest and Sharrkan snickers at his predicament.

"Yeah, I approve!" Ja'far is about to shout out that 'no, I'm not dating a knife-wielding psychopath' but then Khadeja whispers to him.

"Don't want to ruin Mother's Day, right? Take one for the team, Ja'whore!"

"Take one for the team" Masrur stoically repeats, giving him a thumbs up. Ja'far balks and looks like he's about to barf.

"I hate everyone"

* * *

Gyokuen pouts, crossing her legs. She stares at her phone for a long stretch of time before sighing.

"I have twelve children, not including cute little Kouhime. At least _one _of them should tell me 'happy Mother's Day', right?"

* * *

"Happy Mother's Day, Mama!" Bad comes bursting into the room, hoping onto the bed and throwing her arms around both her sleeping parents. Yunan blinks lazily and nods, turning to go back to sleep when Yamu gasps and hugs her daughter back, kissing Badroulbadour's pink head and squealing happily.

"Is it really~? A day just for me to spend with my beautiful daughter and loving husband?"

"Yes! Are you excited?"

"You bet!" Bad giggles when Yamu starts to tickle her, prompting Yunan to blink away his sleep and sit up. The blond throws an arm around his wife and with the other strokes his daughter's head, yawning.

"What are we doing today?" He asks, smiling a little.

"I made breakfast!"

"You did?" Yamu's eyes flicker with excitement, and she hops out of bed, pulling her daughter along by the hand. "Well, lets go eat! Come on, Mr. Wazir"

"Coming, Mrs. Wazir" He yawns again, stumbling out. "Can we eat in bed~? I like the darkness~"

"No." States both females at once, and Yamu 'ahhs' at the sight on the diningroom table. Platters of pancakes, eggs, cereal, yogurt, granola, fresh fruit and various drinks are placed across the stretch and even Yunan pauses to admire the handiwork.

"Wow, this looks great, Princess" He compliments Bad, who blushes and looks away.

"W-well, I just...You know...It's nothing…"

_Too cute!_

Both parents share the thought and sit down to eat.

* * *

"Mama!" Catrina takes her mother's arm, pulling her toward the doorway. "Let's go! We'll pick up Daddy and then go to brunch with Grandpa!"*

Aishia smiles, but she looks a bit uncomfortable.

"Are you sure, Catrina? Grandpa and Dad don't get along very well-"

"It'll be fine~! What's the worst that can happen?" Aishia sighs in defeat and nervously answers,

"Last time Grandpa tried to stab Daddy with a fork and Daddy blocked it with a knife while screaming, 'on guard!', so I honestly don't know how else to answer your question"

"Hehehe, that _was_ pretty fun though, right?"

* * *

Gyokuen taps her foot impatiently.

"Stiiiiilllll waiting for the call!"

* * *

Eren hugs his mother, inhaling the scent of pine and the wooden cabin.

"Hey Ma! I'm here!"

"About time!" Uzza cries, snuggling into her youngest. "Ever since ya moved down to Magi for high school I've been worried sick! Why'd you have to pick a college down there anyways?! There's a great one up here!"

"Ma, I'll be finished with college next year. Besides, I have an awesome job down there too"

"Doin' what?" Eren chuckles nervously.

"Workin' at a fabrics store. But the pay is good and my boss is pretty- pretty nice, yes, pretty nice!" Uzza eyes the younger Chandlen suspiciously but then steps aside, allowing him into the lodge. Large and remote, the Chandlen mountains are a perfect getaway from city and suburb living, but of course the locals don't necessarily like the tourists as much as they do the hunting sessions and nice, large lakes.

"Everyone, Eren's home!" A mass of greetings rise up from his nine older siblings, sibling-in-laws, and nephew + nieces, all of whom come bounding over to him to pat his back and hug him.

"Lil bro, when'd ya get so tall?" Makin asks, the forty-one year old looking up at his twenty-years-younger brother. "And when the hell did I get so _old_?"

Laughing, Eren gives his oldest brother a brief hug.

"How's Kalila and my nephews?"

"Good!"*

Then his sisters come to him and cry over how big he is and ask him why he never comes up the mountain to see them, in which he responds that he loves them dearly and is sorry. His brothers come and question if their 'little Eren' is a 'man' now, in which he rolls his eyes and answers 'what do y'all think?'.

Then there's Hanif, who tackles his youngest in a hug and laughs merrily.

"How's my boy?"

"Good! Happy to see ya, Pa!"

And thus begins another round of Chandlen family hooting and greeting.

* * *

The tapping turns into stomping as Gyokuen's face turns dark.

"_Any day now_"

* * *

**Zeina's Mother's Day: **She doesn't actually have any blood related children, but since in Starry Skies she's adopted many children into the De Coverna Clan I decided that in this AU her sister Maysun owns and operates an orphanage and Zeina supports the children there. Also I think that include Sharr, Rory and Ja'far into the mix was cute.

**Yamu's Mother's Day: **I love YamuXYunan with their adoptive daughter Bad. It's adorable AF.

***Aishia's Mother's Day: **So, you know, I'd just like to say _foreshadowing _and also that the reason Catrina calls her father 'Daddy' is because she's daddy's little girl. Omg I can't wait until I can introduce her daaaaadd it's actually killllllliiiiinnnnngggg meeeeeeee.

***Uzza's**** Mother's Day:** I'm diving more into the AU! So, I know this is confusing but remember that Eren has nine older siblings. _You don't have to remember them all. _I mean, I had to look back to remember what their _names _were. So, like, don't feel awkward if you didn't know who half the people mentioned are.

Yay! I finished something (even though it's really short, which I apologize for)! I don't think the next chapter of Starry Skies is coming out today as planned, sorry. I tried, but honestly I'm so friggin' swamped with end-of-the-year work that it's not even funny. I didn't even get to practice my piano this week, and my teacher was..._Scary._

Ugh, I realized I didn't do an Asad one. But then again, he doesn't have a mom...Oh well. Ya got the mothers of Starry Skies getting pampered, so I feel like that's a win! (PS sorry this isn't as funny as some of the other ones, I'm spending all my laughs on the next chappie of SS). Happy Mother's Day! Treat your moms well, and if you're a mom, then you're awesome!

BYE~~~~~~~


	10. Hello, I'm

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

Hello, I'm…

* * *

**Hello, I'm the best friend. **

"Zeina!" The door bangs open, and Zeina jumps, hand fluttering toward her heart. Turning to the doorway, Zeina witnesses Hinahoho ducking to get into the room. His blue eyes are directed at her, and Zeina pops up, uncertain. They stare at one another for a moment, and then their arms fly open, and they run toward each other.

Hinahoho engulfs the blonde, picking her up and spinning her around before setting the woman down and letting out a laugh that she matches.

"Well, long time no see old friend!" She happily greets him, sincerely smiling in joy. "You haven't changed a bit!"

Hinahoho gives her a crooked smirk and scratches his chin.

"I would say the same to you, but it looks like you got even more gorgeous. I honestly didn't think it was possible, Zein" His lips tilt downward a little bit. "Sinbad's gonna have trouble staying mad at you if you splash him with that smile of yours"

There's a question in that statement. Zeina's smile dies down a bit as well, but she turns away to mask it, offering Hinahoho a seat. He looks to the tiny chair and snorts, taking a seat on the couch and patting the cushion beside him.

"How do you think everyone else is gonna take my return?" She asks nonchalantly, and the Imuchakk snorts.

"They're going to want to throttle you, but also hug the crap out of you as well" The giant shares the chuckle with the woman, who casually crosses her legs and leans against the armrest.

"Like you did?"

"I didn't want to throttle you! I mean sure, it was a surprise but...You were my best friend. No offense to Sinbad of course, but he paired us together for many assignments so it's not like we _couldn't_ have gotten close."

"Yeah...Wait, you didn't miss me?!"

"What? Of course I missed you!" Zeina pouts, looking away.

"But you didn't want to throttle me"

"For the love of-! Fine, I wanted to _throttle_ you…*Whispers* brat" Zeina beams at his words, tossing her perfect curls over her shoulder.

"Well, I am very throttle-able. Anyway, we were talking about how much you love and adore me?" The blue haired giant gives her a certain look that doesn't make her waver.

"Oh my God I remember why we always used to fight" Zeina snidely pokes his side.

"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it!" The man's face becomes soft suddenly, a softness that they both had been holding in. The gentleness of 'you're important to me, stupid'.

"Yeah…" He pats her curls. "...I really did."

* * *

**Hello, I'm the third (but I'm older than the second) son. **

The next time the door slams open, Zeina doesn't flinch as noticeably but she does look up to the doorway in surprise. A man with dark skin and white hair stands there with his hands on his knees, breathing in and out loudly.

"Are you alright?" Zeina asks cautiously, standing up and and walking towards him. He rasps something out, holding up a finger for her to wait a minute.

"Zeina!" He proclaims with a hoarse voice. "What *wheeze* are you doing *cough* here?"

"Well I'm-" She blinks and steps closer, her large maroon eyes growing wider. She takes in the man's lazy green eyes, his ruffled snow hair. The black sword at his side gleams as he moves, and so do the chains wrapped around him. "...Sharrkan?"

"Yeah!" He says it like she's stupid, spreading open his arms in a 'here-I-am' action.

Zeina comes closer, a small smile crossing her features.

"You've grown so much...Are you a playboy like Sinbad?"

"W-what? No!"

"Aw, you are! That's adorable, my little swordsman." Sharrkan sputters.

"Zeina! You're not suppose to compliment me!"

"Oh? Sorry, sorry! But…" Zeina steps forward again before Sharrkan can react and envelopes him in a hug, arms tight around the Heliophatian.

"Z-Z-"

"I really, really missed you, Sharr. How are you?" Sharrkan's lower lip quivers, but then he bites it to stop the involuntary movement.

"I've been okay…" He mutters, arms not hugging her back. She steps away and looks at him.

"I can't believe you're an inch taller than me! My little boy is a man!" She sighs. "All have you have grown so much. It makes me feel like an old woman"

"You would have felt that way more so if you stayed" He verbal jabs at her, frowning. Zeina's eyes are deep and unbetraying to her emotions, but she nods with his statement.

"I know. I'm sorry, Sharrkan. It's much, much too late but I just want to say that I'm sorry. I know nothing I can do can make up forthat"

"Then why did you come back?" He asks, confused. She reaches up and pats his cheek lovingly.

"I came because my niece asked me to. Of course, I also figured that maybe it's time to apologize for not saying goodbye as well."

"We thought...We were afraid that you were dead…" Sharrkan whispers, eyes staring downwards. "Ja'far and Masrur were both terrified that Al Thamen had gotten you and Sinbad refused to even think about the idea...We were scared…"

Zeina's throat constricts.

"But I'm fine, right?" She breathes back, patting his cheek. "I'm _fine_, Sharr."

His shoulders droop.

"Yeah...I guess that's a start…"

* * *

**Hello, I'm the 'Onii-san'.**

Drakon was next to come in, and when the door opened she flinched again and huffed in irritation at her sensitive hearing.

"Drakon?"

"Hey, Zeina" Zeina pops up and squeals like a little girl, rushing up to Drakon and stuffing her face into his red clothes.

"Onii-san~!" He rolls his eyes.

"Okay, I'm _pretty _sure that you're older than me" The dragon-man tells her with amusement, using his scaly arms to hug her back. "I can't believe you actually came back. I thought you'd be too embarrassed to show up after ditching us"

"Hey, is that the way a general should be speaking to his comrade?" She asks, teasing him. Drakon cracks a sharp-toothed smile and shakes his head, letting her go.

"I guess you're right."

"Like always~"

"But Zeina...Where were you?" The Temptress turns toward the couch, sitting down and grabbing her book once more.

"Where was I...Everywhere, basically. I traveled through the desert, went to Kou to clear up some problems, back to Reim...Honestly, where wasn't I?"

"Here."

"Ah. That's right." The green scaled man takes his seat next to her like Hinahoho did earlier and looked out the window, watching the blue sky stay still over the Sindrian country.

"Zeina...I won't ask you why you left"

"Why not?"

"Because I know that you'll be hearing that question a lot, by Sinbad especially."

"Eh? I thought that I'd hear it more from Sharrkan." Drakon's jaw falls open at her and then he throws his head back in a roar-type laugh.

"You and Sinbad are really idiots. Back then you were both so oblivious but now...Oh God you're both so blind!" Zeina looks taken aback.

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll figure it out. Oh, and I got married" Zeina gasps, holding a hand to her heart.

"Y-you and...Serendine?" Drakon rolls his eyes.

"No, me and Sahel." Zeina jumps into the air so fast it's like the seat she was on exploded.

"Yes! Yes! Yes, yes, oh my Gosh YES!" Drakon pokes her side with a sharp nailed finger.

"Stop being a fangirl and sit down!"

"Honestly I shipped it both ways but Sahel always had a thing for you and it was _adorable_. Tell me everything! What was the wedding like? Is she happy? Oh my gosh, Drakon, do you take her _shopping_?!"

* * *

**Hello, I'm a Knight.**

"Um, excuse me?" The door was opened normally this time and honestly Zeina barely even reacted. After all the encounters today this barely held a candle to it.

"Yes?"

"Oh, hello, you are Lady Zeina, yes?" Zeina nods, stands and notices that it's not just any newcomer, but a man dressed as a Sasanian Knight.

"May I ask who you are?"

"It's probably normal for you not to recognize me. I am Spartos, Mistoras' younger brother"

Mistoras.

Now that name hits her like a sledgehammer, the memory of her old friend dancing on her brain. He was sweet and shy and adventurous, little Mistoras.

"I...See. You two look a lot alike"

"Really? Thank you. Anyway, I just figured it would be proper to give my introductions to you, since you're an old friend of my King and fellow Generals" Zeina smiles. What a polite boy.

"That's considerate of you! Why don't you stay a while? I'll tell you some stories about your brother…"

* * *

**Hello, I'm not a matchmaker. Definitely not a matchmaker.**

"Hello~ Is Zeina in here~?" The sound of her name made her look up, and honestly she isn't even affected anymore.

"Hello. I'm Zeina" The girl's jaw drops, and she shakes her head furiously.

"No way! You can't be Zeina! You're beautiful!" The Temptress decides to take that as a compliment...Sort of.

"Thank you? But I assure you, I am most definitely Zeina" The girl starts to smile widely.

"My name's Pisti! I look short but I'm twenty!"

"Pisti? Oh, are you Queen Artemina's daughter? I believe we've met before" Pisti blinks and tilts her head.

"Really? Wow, I don't remember!"

"You _were _only seven"

"Seven?!" Zeina giggles, nodding.

"You were so cute!" The Temptress flicks a curl over her shoulder, and she smiles widely at Pisit. "So, why were you looking for me?"

"Well, I wanted to see what kind of woman my King's first girlfriend was like!" Zeina pauses at this, tilting her head.

"What do you mean? I never dated Sin. Who told you that?" Pisti blinks and then looks a little crestfallen and a tad irritated.

"Masrur! That guy lied again! Waahh! I really wanted to meet Sinbad's first love…" The older blonde goes forward and pats Pisti's shoulder.

"It's okay, hey, Masrur used to call me mom"

"Really?"

"Yeah! It's great material to use against him!"

* * *

**Hello, I'm the King.**

So after getting greeted by five generals, and having a month pass by while hanging out with all seven, Zeina was used to getting doors thrown open and unannounced visitors strolling in a starting a conversation.

So much so, in fact, that when Sinbad came in smiling, she only looked up at him and then back at her book, saying,

"Oh, hello Sinbad"

"Hello my _ass_!"

* * *

Hahahaha. So yeah, this takes place after Ja'far has his mental breakdown in chapter 19 and sort of before Sinbad comes back to Sindria, while also explaining why Zeina didn't react much when Sinbad came into the room she was reading in during that one time. I thought this was a cute way to introduce the Generals to Zeina, though I sorta ran out of energy by the end lol. Hope you like it!

BYE~~~~~~~


	11. Coming on Too Strong

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

Coming on too Strong

* * *

**The Day Before They Left for Zagan…**

She was not one to spy, but Morgiana was curious when she spotted the fourth Prince of the Kou empire walking with the Holy Keeper. Hakuryuu's face was tense with troubles, and compared to him Asad looked a monk with his calm expression. Her ears pricked as they spoke, hiding behind a pillar.

"...Asad-dono?"

"Yeah?"

"...What's Kouhime like?" Morgiana frowned.

_Kouhime?_

Something tickles the back of her head, but she wasn't sure where she's heard a name like that before.

"She's...An interesting person. You've spoken to her, right?"

"Yes. I wasn't...Expecting her to be so blunt." Asad barks out a laugh, lips splitting in a grin.

"That's her style." The fourth Prince sighs, almost disappointed. "She's not as bad as she seems. You'll get used to it"

"You seem to like her" It almost seems accusatory. Morgiana can hear the eye roll in the other's words.

"Like I said: she's not as bad as she seems. Hime's actually pretty fun. She can just come on strong." He pauses, and then slaps Hakuryuu's back, laughing once more. "Like her sister!"

* * *

"Oh, sorry." Bad apologizes before she turns around, blinking when her gaze instantly hits finely made fabric. The thin, delicate flowers stitched onto the material melts upwards into a pink kimono-dress with a yellow scarf.

Her gaze travels up, and red meets pink.

…

"Hello" She grins at Kougyoku, who flusteredly gapes at the younger girl.

"H-hello" The eighth Princess finally replies, holding her sleeves close to her face as she timidly watches Bad. "Oh- yes, sorry for running into you"

"No problem" The not-quite magician waves it off, turning away.

"Oh- wait, um-" Kougyoku tries hurriedly to stop the child, going to her side. "Um, we, uh, didn't talk much back when you visited Kou a while ago, but I am aware of your position now."

"Oh?" Bad tries to stifle her grin, watching the elder Princess hold herself higher.

"Yes. And…" Resolution fills the older girl's face. "I know we'll become the best of siblings!"

_Eh?_

"Best...Of siblings?" Bad repeats slowly, a strange feeling of dread filling her.

"Yes!" Kougyoku's face lights up. "I've always wanted a sister to dress up, you know!"

"D-dress up?!" Kougyoku grabs her hand in a surprisingly strong grip, eyes glittering.

"You'll look so cute in white!"

* * *

Hakuryuu knocks on Kougyoku's door.

"Cousin, it's time for dinner…" The door opens, and cautiously the Prince steps inside. "Kougyoku? Are you alrig-"

Alarm was the first thing that hit the blue eyed boy when he spotted the fabrics all strewn about the room, the closet doors thrown open and dresses discarded carelessly.

"Kougyoku-!" Hakuryuu calls worriedly, rushing into the closet.

Only to stop and stare.

Kougyoku hadn't changed her clothing, but her flushed cheeks and thrilled smile made Hakuryuu raise a questioning eyebrow until he spotted the girl beside her.

Kougyoku had dug deep into her wardrobe brought from Kou and used Vinea without restraint to cut and tailor the kimonos into the right size for Bad, dressing the small girl into a floor length dress much like her own except with shades of a light pink and white. The corset was too tight for the child and a deep red that matched the spider lilies stitched onto the thin white sleeves. Bad herself had gotten her hair taken out its ponytail and put in a low bun visible visible over the right side of her neck and held in place with red chopsticks.

While she certainly looked like a Kou Princess, her expression was that of someone about to faint, her gaze latching onto the Prince and begging him to help her.

"Doesn't she look great?" Kougyoku gushes, positioning her newfound sister before their cousin. "I dressed her up myself!"

"_Yes_." Bad echoes in a hollow voice. "_It took. All. Day._"

"Y-yes, Kouhime looks very good."

"Like a Princess" Kougyoku half jokes, brushing the girl's bangs and smoothing out the wrinkles. Bad doesn't react, seemingly used to her sister's quirks. "She's _so_ cute! Can we keep her, Hakuryuu~?"

"Keep- Kougyoku, you _do_ realize Kouhime is a ward of King Sinbad, right?" Kougyoku pouts.

"But she's my half-sister" Kougyoku jabs back, and the Prince runs a hand over his hair.

"_Allegedly_" Bad quietly adds, but they ignore her.

"It's more complicated than that…" Her happy expression drops, and she sighs. Bad reaches up and tugs on the flowered sleeve of her older sister.

"Um...Let's play dress up again when I come back from the Dungeons, okay?" Hakuryuu didn't know that Kougyoku could beam so brightly.

"Yes!" The Eighth Princess claps her hands together, stars in her eyes. "Let's have a _fashion show_!"

Hakuryuu sweatdrops.

His cousin certainly came on strong.

* * *

Because I love sibling relationships.

And putting Bad in situations where she is at a disadvantage is freaking hilarious to me XD. I actually wrote this drabble while being plagued by writers block. I guess in times of need, all I have to do is write about fashion and I feel better (lol no). Thanks for reading, friends!

Got any questions or suggestions? Something wrong about the chapter? Grammatical errors, something you didn't like? PM me or leave it in the reviews, I will reply and see what I can do to make the story better/clearer for y'all to understand. ILY MY DARLING READERS!

BYE~~~~~~~


	12. Halloween Special: Costume Party!

In which Halloween hits and I decide to write! Huzzah, let us read, my friends!

* * *

**B**e**n**e**a**t**h** t**h**e **S**t**a**r**s**

**B**y **G**o**l**d **S**p**a**r**r**o**w**

**H**A**L**L**O**W**E**E**N** S**P**E**C**I**A**L**: **

Costume Party!

* * *

**7:00 PM, Sindria Estate**

* * *

"Alright, so there are three prizes. Scariest, most creative, and funniest. You can get first, second or third in each category, but you can only enter in one. The prize for third is a discount at the Amala Supermarket, provided by Catrina. The prize for second is a twenty dollar gift card to a place of your choice. And first place is a favor from me."

A gasp erupted from the crowd.

Alibaba raises a hand.

"A favor…From Bad?!"

* * *

**R**O**U**N**D** 1**:** S**c**a**r**i**e**s**t**!

* * *

"I'll win this for sure!" Alibaba cheers. He doesn't want to brag or anything, but he looks pretty scary. He has one of those masks with a bunch of scars and blood all over it, and he had chopped the arms off of baby dolls and stuck them in his sleeves so it looks like he has 'baby hands'.

"Oh, I'm sure." Kassim rolls his eyes.

"And what? You think your golem outfit is gonna cut it?"

"It's hella a lot better than Baby-Baba."

The others in this category included Catrina going as a vampire-zombie, Masrur kind of just standing there, Judal with fake knives stuck onto his skin and Kouen with a full suit of armor and a glare that burns.

The judges are Bad, Centola and Asad, all of which scored everyone out of ten. Catrina goes first.

"Eight!" Bad chirps.

"Eight!" Centola giggles.

"Seven." Asad yawns.

Masrur follows, but he gets a three for not actually dressing. Judal gets a higher score, a twenty-five, but that's because Asad gives him a ten, which Alibaba finds incredibly unfair and biased.

Finally, it's his turn.

_Favor from Bad, favor from Bad, favor from Bad! _

Centola smiles at him reassuringly.

"Nine!"

Bad glares.

"Ugh. Fine, because I can't be biased, eight."

"I guess a nine, for the ingenuity."

_A twenty-six! I'm gonna win!_

Kassim gets a twenty-four. Kouen a twenty-four. The oldest Ren had questioned this, but Bad had answered that, 'a knight isn't that scary, nii-san'.

"So, the winner is Alibaba!" Centola announces, and he jumps into the air, fist pumping.

"Yes! The brat owes me one! YES!"

"_Not so fast." _

The voice stills his blood.

_Oh no._

He turns slowly.

_Oh no. Oh no, no, no._

Khadeja strides up, giving a bone-chilling grin.

"It's my turn to go, ya bastard."

_Oh no, no, nO CRAP BASKETS._

She presents herself in her costume, a witch, and then gives each of the judges (excluding Centola) a fierce glare that matches the intensity of Kouen's.

"Judge me. If you have the balls, that is."

The judges, even Asad, scoot their chairs back simultaneously. Then, at the same time,

"Nine!"

"Twenty-seven. That means I win, huh?"

Alibaba keeps it together for a total of three seconds.

"DAMMIT!"

* * *

**R**O**U**N**D** 2**:** C**r**e**a**t**i**v**i**t**y**!

* * *

Those in line for this contest was Sinbad, Zeina, Hakuryuu, Hakuei and Drakon.

"Ladies first," Sinbad coos, ushering the girls forward.

"You're up to something." Zeina narrows her eyes, scrutinizing the man dressed as a piece of bacon, for some reason.

"No, I'm not."

"You are. You are and I don't like it."

"First up!" Zeina looks to the front, and then sighs.

Centola gives her aunt's outfit as a space pirate a look and then settles on an eight.

Bad gives her the same.

Asad gives her a seven.

"That's a bias."

"What bias do I have against you?"

"Probably the same bias that made you teepee my house when you were a kid." Asad shrugs.

"Touché."

Hakuei goes next, and her chinese general's outfit wins her straight eights.

"Sorry, Zeina. You should've gotten a twenty-four as well."

"Oh, don't worry abou- _Sinbad!"_

Grinning, Sinbad moseys up to them.

"What's wrong?"

"You ass," Zeina points her finger at his clothes. "You changed your costume!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You were bacon, and now you're…"

"*Clears throat* Captain Jack Sparrow!"

"I hate you."

"I don't care. I'm winning that first place! I have a favor in mind for Bad."

"What kind?"

"Of the not-quite legal kind."

"..." Hakuei blinks. "Oh. You want her to steal some information from Gyokuen's computer?"

"H-how did you know?!"

"Hakuryuu, good job! You get a twenty-eight!" Whipping around, Sinbad looks at the teen. He was wearing a general's costume like his sister, but it was decorated with nice armor and a real polearm that he brought from his house.

"A-a twenty-eight?"

"Aw, what's wrong, Sin?" Zeina's eyes glow mischievously. "Need to change again?"

"No, I'll win this fair and square!"

* * *

"You got a twenty-nine! Good job!" Centola compliments Sinbad, who beams in accomplishment.

"I won, huh?"

"Y- Oh wait, Drakon needs to go."

"Yeah, okay- _Drakon?!" _

"Sorry Sinbad," Drakon apologizes, striding up to the man. "I changed as well. How do you like my costume?"

"W-what elaborate makeup!"

"And an awesome shirt! He really looks like a dragon!"

Sinbad's hopes and dreams go down the drain.

"Thirty! You win, Drakon!"

Sinbad, to his credit, holds it together much better than Alibaba did.

"Can I...Can I get my twenty-dollar gift-card to be for starbucks?"

* * *

**R**O**U**N**D** 3**:** F**u**n**n**i**e**s**t**!

* * *

There wasn't many contestants for the 'funny' round. Bad was disappointed, but decided it was fine. She was pretty happy that so far only Khadeja and Drakon had won first, it meant that they'd probably never ask her for help or ask her for a trivial thing. If Sinbad had won she'd probably have to steal information off of Gyokuen's computer or something.

If Alibaba had won she probably would've had to massaged his feet.

(Cue barfing noises.)

First up for the 'funny' round was Aladdin, dressed in a sundress with a blanket tied around his neck. He wore a masquerade mask.*

"Hehe, what're you, Al?" Aladdin tilts his head to the side.

"I'm Ithnan, obviously!" Bad giggles loudly, and gives him a nine. Which was biased of her, but she didn't actually care that much. Asad gave him a six and Centola gave him an eight. Al had taken his score with stride, shrugging it off.

Next came-

"G-Gyokuen?!"

"Oh hello, dears. I decided to participate! Isn't this fun?" Bad nearly craps herself.

"Su-sure. What're you?"

"I'm a clown." Then Gyokuen puts on a rainbow-afro wig and starts smiling widely. "_Aren't I funny?"_

Bad bites down on her lip to keep from laughing.

Gyokuen puts a red ball on her nose.

Her chest starts to hurt from keeping the laughter in.

Gyokuen squeezes the ball, and it makes a honking noise.

Finally she breaks, and so does Centola and Asad.

After they calm down, they reluctantly give her straight nines.

"Twenty-seven! _How wonderful."_

"Asad, why didn't you give her a three or something?" Bad whisper-shouts.

"Because that was the best thing I've ever seen in my entire life. I think I peed a little."

"TMI."

"Okay, let's just pray that the next person is better than Gyokuen." Centola calls up the next contestant.

"Eren!" The man was wearing a cloak that hid his costume.

"Guys...I came as a werewolf...But then I saw Gyokuen's plan."

"...Okay? And?"

"And...And I made a decision for you, Bad." Eren takes a shuddering breath, and then releases the cloak's clasp.

It falls to the floor.

And suddenly Bad's on the floor, gasping for breath.

"YOU CAME AS A WOMAN!?" She shouts in half-hysterics, half-genuine-concern. Eren had put on a short dress that was way too small for him, and his muscles bulged from the sleeves. It was a bright pink color, with a sash wrapped around the middle. He pulled a crown out of the pocket of the cloak and put it in his hair, and then spread his arms.

"I came as Prom Queen!"

"THIRTY! YOU GET A THIRTY!"

* * *

WINNERS:

Scariest: 1) Khadeja 2) Alibaba 3) Judal &amp; Kouen

Creativity: 1) Drakon 2) Hakuryuu 3) Sinbad

Funniest: 1) Eren 2) Gyokuen 3) Aladdin

* * *

"Hey Bad…"

"Yeah?"

Eren grins evilly.

"For my favor...You should _massage my feet."_

*Gasp*

"_You son of a bitch."_

* * *

Happy Halloween my lovelies! I wrote this just for you guys! I seriously put it off though. Sorry if it isn't that funny, but I tried my best. I'm a cat this year. Pretty lame since last year I was a gypsy, but I didn't really have an idea for what to do, and I have a pair of cute cat ears so...

***Aladdin's costume:** Before you stare at me funny and ask why I wrote that in, it's because Aladdin actually dressed up as Ithnan in magi. I forget the chapter...Maybe 116? Pretty sure around there.

What're you doing this year? Anything fun? Please tell me! I'm interested!

Got any questions or suggestions? Something wrong about the chapter? Grammatical errors, something you didn't like? PM me or leave it in the reviews, I will reply and see what I can do to make the story better/clearer for y'all to understand. ILY MY DARLING READERS!

BYE~~~~~~~


	13. Oji-San & the Little Princess

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

Oji-San and the Little Princess

* * *

The first time they met, he regarded her with indifference.

"Hello." Kouhime had politely offered. He did not respond. She, knowing that she had spoken the correct greeting and acknowledged the polite rules of society, accepted his silence. At the end of their meeting, which consisted of the two of them staring out at the garden in complete quiet, he nodded stiffly at her.

"You're not a loud brat. That's good."

From then on, Ithnan was her teacher.

* * *

"_Ramz"_

"Again."

"_Ramz"_

"Again."

"_...Ramz"_

"Again."

"_Ram...z"_

"Again.

"_Ra…"_

* * *

Someone picked her up from the ground where she had been laying, and held her body in his arms.

"You're weak."

She slowly opens her eyes, and sees Ithnan's chin.

"I am." She agrees.

"You're spineless."

"Yes."

"And you have absolutely no backbone or philosophy in which you care for."

"I do not."

He pauses, glaring down at her through his mask and asks,

"Why do you even deserve to live?"

She shrugs, but the very action hurts her entire body.

"I don't know. You can kill me, if you so desire." He stares at her for many long seconds.

"No wonder Gyokuen loves you so."

* * *

"You are stupid."

"I know." He points to the book in front of her.

"Do not say 'I know'," He mimicks, pushing her toward the pages. "Say, 'I'm smart'."

"But you said I am not."

"Oh _Illah_, just read."

* * *

When she is eight, he takes her on a trip for her birthday.

"Do you know what this day represents?"

"Yes, it's the day that Mother found me." Ithnan hums at the use of the word 'mother', but nods.

"Exactly."

"Where are we going?"

"You're gonna like it. It's called, 'outside'." She slowly regards him.

"I've been outside before."

"You mean the meager little garden outside Gyokuen's quarters and our sparring area? That's not outside."

"What is outside?" He gives the telltale groan that she recognizes as his, 'annoyed' groan, so she stops talking.

Then they arrive outside.

Her breath comes in quickly, and she looks at what she sees with fascination. They are standing on a wall overlooking some sort of large meeting place, full of green-clothed people hurrying on their way. Some have children her age, other are elderly, half are men and half are women. The stalls are all brown, and overhead white overhangs shield people from the sun.

Her grip on Ithnan's hand tightens.

"Wha...What are they doing, Ithnan?" He hums a little, sitting on the edge overlooking the sight. She sits next to him.

"It's a marketplace, Kouhime."

"A marketplace?"

"An area where people go to buy and sell goods." The definition pops into her head from one of her books, and she 'ooh's with recognition.

"I didn't expect it to be so…" She tries to think of a word. Loud? Too negative. Charming? Not quite. Something that means boisterous yet orderly, warm yet contained. "...So…"

"Lively?" She stares at him.

"What does that mean?" He gives her hand a squeeze. His hand is so cool, just like hers.

"...I guess I shouldn't tell you."

"Lively…" She repeats. The word is strange, like 'live-ly'. Live, huh...She shakes her head and stares at the marketplace.

"We're not allowed to go." Something sinks in her chest. She wonders what it was and where it went, staring down at her belly.

"But we can watch, right?" He nods.

So they spend the whole day there, watching people go about their regular lives.

* * *

"Are you annoyed by this?"

"By what?" Ithnan scratches the back of his head, and removes his mask.

"Being made to do training with me."

"I suppose not."

"You suppose?"

"Well...I like you better than the others…? No, that sounds mean." Ithnan chuckles, sitting on the ground.

"I like you better than the others as well." Kouhime gives a tiny upward tilt of the lips that she considers a smile, and sits beside him, peacefully.

"Can I call you Oji-san?"

"What?" He knots his eyebrows at her.

"Oji-san. It means 'Uncle'. Gyokuen told me I could call any of the priests 'Oji-san' or 'Oba-san' if I wanted to."

"Yeah? If Gyokuen says you can then it really doesn't matter about my opinion." Kouhime stares at him. "What now?"

"I think your opinion matters. I can call any of the priest 'Oji-san', but since I want to call _you_ it, aren't you going to tell me if it's okay?" Ithnan throws his hands up in exasperation.

"Sure, little Princess. Call me 'Oji-san'."

* * *

"Oji-san?"

"Yes?"

The little girl shuffles her feet toward him.

"My chest hurts." Sighing, Ithnan squats to her level.

"If you need a healer, I've told you that you need to speak up about it-"

"Not like that…" She grips the fabric of her dress, her eyes shiny. "I mean...It feels like I'm hurt. But I know I'm not. Does this happen a lot, Ithnan? Like someone is scooping something out of your chest?"

"...Yes. But you know what you do when that happens?"

"What?"

"You make a list of all the things you want to do."

"...I wanna go to the marketplace."

"I want to see my brother soon."

"I want to go to the marketplace." The man stands again, glaring at the child.

"You can't say the same thing twice."

Kouhime tilts her head all the way back to look into his eyes. Again with the not-quite smile, but it's wider than any of the other ones.

"I want to go to the marketplace with Ithnan."

He turns away, rubs the back of his head, and nods.

"Fine. I want to go to the marketplace with Kouhime."

* * *

"Ah...This is my Stave." He had told her one day when she pulled out the scythe-like wand for practice.

"Is it? I didn't know." She spins it in her hands. Then she pauses, and presses her ear to the smooth metal of the blade. It is cold against the side of her face- unlike the stave she usually hands over to Gyokuen- but it hums with electricity.

"Raiden," He looks at her strangely, and she shrugs. "That's his name. Raiden, meaning thunder and lightning."

Ithnan didn't say anything to that.

* * *

"Oji-san? Where are you going?"

He looks back at the voice, seeing the little girl he has tutored for the past three years padding over to him. She takes his hand, like she expects him to lead her to their training area. He lowers himself to her level and ruffles her hair.

There won't be any training for a while.

"I'm going away, Kouhime."

"Oh. Okay." She lets go of his hand, and for some reason he wishes she hadn't. Her palm has always been warmer than his. "Will you be back in a few weeks? My birthday is coming up."

"Sure. I'll be back soon."

"Ithnan!" The call comes from down the hall. Standing in wait, Dunya pleasantly smiles and Isaac stoically stands.

"I have to go now."

"Okay. Bye, Ithnan."

He hesitates, and leans back down. The eleven year old waits for him to speak again.

"So, you know when I told you to make a list of things you want to do?"

"Yes. Whenever my chest feels funny."

"Well, think of new things."

"Huh? But I always say-"

"Yes, but I think I'll take you to the marketplace this year." Kouhime's lips part. And then she has her arms around Ithnan's chest, squeezing tightly.

Startled, the magician looks down at her with alarm.

(It was the first time she ever hugged him. It was the first time she ever hugged anyone beside Falan and Gyokuen.)

Slowly, he pats her back and lays his chin on top of her head.

"Will it be as fun as it looks, Ithnan?" She asks, voice muffled by his clothes.

"It'll be even better than that." He promises.

She lets go, gives the not-quite smile that is probably as wide as it's ever been, and then skips down the hallway.

"What an adorable child," Dunya comments. "Is she your daughter, Ithnan?"

"No. She is my student."

"Well, it looks like she really looks up to you. How cute. You must introduce me when we get back."

"I'll make it a priority, Lady Dunya." He quickens his pace. The sooner he gets Dunya to Zagan, the sooner he can come back.

And the sooner that he'll go to the marketplace with Kouhime.

* * *

And we all know that they never go to the marketplace together (cries).

So yeah, this made me pretty depressed while I was writing it. But hey, Ithnan and Bad's relationship is a bit heartbreaking, so that's natural. If you're crying, I did my job ;)

Next chappie of Starry Skies should be up tomorrow, so look for it! If not, Monday. I have the week off for Thanksgiving! SO EXCITED!

Got any questions or suggestions? Something wrong about the chapter? Grammatical errors, something you didn't like? PM me or leave it in the reviews, I will reply and see what I can do to make the story better/clearer for y'all to understand. ILY MY DARLING READERS!

BYE~~~~~~~


	14. Thanksgiving Special: Stars on the Wall

Hi y'all! I should've posted this earlier. Oh well. I was able to whip up this for everyone really quickly, though! Happy Thanksgiving!

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

Thanksgiving Special:

Stars on the Wall

* * *

It was a nice Thanksgiving, the Sindria mansion glowing like a candle and swollen with people. The party was in full swing; Khadeja in a staring contest (or glaring) with Ja'far, Bad and her group of friends laughing together, Asad dancing with his new girlfriend Kougyoku on the dancefloor.

And Centola over by a wall, smiling at what it holds.

"You like it?" Sinbad asks, strolling over.

"I take it Mr. Abraham is still not interested in talking to you?"

"Not since he heard that I made a deal with his father."

"Oh. _Mr_. Abraham."

"Why do people do that?" The man asks, hands in pockets. Centola giggles.

"David is psycho, Sinbad."

"Yes, but it seems to be universal. _Mr_. Abraham." The host shakes his head and once again motions to the wall. "But do you like this?"

"Very much. Was it your idea?"

"Zeina's."

"Ah."

"Don't 'ah' like that." The young De Coverna just shakes her head and smiles. "And don't do that either!"

"May I put one up?"

"Yeah. That's what the table is for." Centola goes up to the table against the wall, and picks up a sharpie and a yellow piece of paper in the shape of a star. On the star it's written,

**I'm thankful for _**

And a place for her name above it.

She writes what she wants and tapes it to the wall, admiring the others before hers.

* * *

**Eren-** My bothersome little sisters

**Cat- **The dojo

**Bad-** My family/pranks

**Yunan-** my precious daughter

**Yamu-** Bad 3

**Hakuei-** My little brother

**Sinbad-** Sindria!

**Zeina-** The Caverna* Orphanage

**Khadeja-** Centola.

**Ja'far-** Peace and quiet.

**Aladdin-** All my friends!

**Alibaba- **My mother and Kassim

**Morgiana-** The dojo

**Hakuryuu-** My older sister

**Asad-** playing pranks with Judal

**Judal-** Playing pranks with Asad

**Kassim-** Anise and Alibaba

**Kouen-** Books.

**Koumei-** Sleep 'n pigeons

**Kouha-** My brothers and sisters.

**Kougyoku-** My wonderful siblings!

**Solomon-** My son.

**Masrur-** …Food. I guess.

**Cent-** My dear family.

* * *

She laughs at all the things written, and begins to step away. Bad zooms in from nowhere and plucks the sharpie out of her hand, grabbing a fresh star from the table.

"Writing two?"

"I'm changing my answer!" She announces, and grabs her pre-existing one from the wall. She replaces it, and nods her head in satisfaction. As she skips away, Centola reads what she wrote.

* * *

**Bad-** Everyone. (Except for Alibaba.)

* * *

**Sparrow-Chan:** I'm thankful for all my loving family, my siblings and my parents. Even my crazy aunts, uncles and cousins. Without them I wouldn't be who I am today.

* * *

^^^I'm thankful for my family, but they're nuts. Every Thanksgiving we have an annual football game during the day and then a large-scale family dinner. Most years we have around 50-60 people, but this year it was more 35-40ish. And it wouldn't be a "Sparrow" family Thanksgiving if someone didn't have a meltdown, family gossip wasn't shared, and there wasn't some sort of dinner after dinner to actually get food in your belly. Last year cousin Shelly had a meltdown, and the year before that her sister Sara had one. Also my dad got drunk last year and spent the ride home in the backseat laughing at the same joke for ten minutes. We had a bit of a tiff between aunt Leslie and cousin Jenna, because Jenna was mad a Kait, Leslie's daughter. Also, one of the awards we give away yearly _exploded_, so that was a nice touch. Oh, and we rounded off the night with some good old fashioned _gambling_.

We're Irish, if you couldn't tell.

But I love 'em all the same.

(Writing this I realize where I get inspiration for Zeina's antics from.)

**Stars:** This comes from something they did at my school, actually. They let you write down things you were thankful for and then posted them around campus. It was really sweet, so I used it for this :)

***Anise:** I'm gonna have her be alive. And Kassim + Alibaba live with her. Annnnd she's not a prostitute. I want everyone to have happy endings in this AU :)

***Caverna:** This is spelled correctly, and once we get to the De Coverna arc you'll know why.

**Catrina + Mor's answer:** I was gonna have Cat put down 'family', but I didn't want too much of that. So instead, she and Mor put down 'dojo', because Catrina's father in this AU owns a dojo. They put that as their answer because everyone at the dojo is like family :) :) :)


	15. Christmas Special: Christmas Songs

I would've edited this, but I wanted to get it up before the guests arrive for my family's christmas party...Which started about, well, nowish. Oh well :) Merry Christmas!

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

**Christmas Special:**

Christmas Songs

* * *

**12:54 PM, December 22, Magi Square**

* * *

"...Is this a joke?"

"Nope!" Aladdin beams at Bad, his cheeks red like apples from the cold. "Alibaba and the others are doing it themselves! It's gonna be awesome!"

"But...I mean…" The pair stare at the poster, an incredulous look gracing Bad's face. She pulls off her gloves as she reads the poster again. On it the words read,

_Holiday Concert on December 25_

_Performing live is Saint Ali and the Reindeers!_

_Come for hot chocolate and good tunes at Reim Park, 4:00-8:00_

"Isn't it great? I'm playing the flute for them."

"..." A devious smirk spreads across the girl's face, cold as the snow around them. "Think you may need some help?"

* * *

**1:34 PM, December 23, Wazir House**

* * *

"You all are probably wondering what I gathered you here for."

"Not really"

"Nope."

"You told me over the phone-"

"SHH! You all are probably wondering what I gather you here for." The four assembled before the girl sigh and fake confusion the best they can. Pleased, she continues. "Well! Have you heard about the charity concert tomorrow?"

"Yes, Alibaba is working it." Centola says, smiling.

"Kougyoku and I are going because Kassim forced Judal to be a 'Reindeer'." Asad reaches into his bag and pulls out a camara, shaking it. "I'm takin' lots of pictures."

"Well…" Bad pulls up her violin, letting out a maniacal laugh. "We're making it into a battle of the bands!"

There is a beat of silence where only Bad's laugh reigns, and then Eren starts chuckling along with his little sister.

* * *

**2:37 PM, December 23, Wazir House**

* * *

Eren manned the drums, wooden sticks in hand.

Centola was on the mic, and nervously memorized the lyrics she'd be singing.

Asad had bass guitar, and Catrina the electric.

That left Bad holding her violin, beaming with pride.

"Ready to practice?"

"Well, I guess…" Centola worriedly sighs, straightening her clothes. "Shouldn't we have started practicing a few weeks ago? We've never played together before. Does Alibaba even know we're crashing?"

"I only learned about the concert yesterday. And it wouldn't be crashing if he knew we were coming to destroy him."

"It's all good fun." Eren soothes Centola, before the girl sighs.

"Is it? It sounds likeBad just wants to beat Alibaba…"

"I'm ready!" Catrinaexcitedly yells, pumping her fist. "My dad is going to be so excited! He loves Christmas rock!"

As everyone else rolls their eyes, Catrina starts jamming on her guitar.

* * *

**3:48 PM, December 25, Reim Park**

* * *

"Hey, you guys are early!" Catrina skips over to her mom, throwing her arms around the woman's neck. Aishia laughs, kissing her daughter's cheek. "Where is dad?"

"He went to go wrestle us some seats. Half the town turned up!"

"Thanks to the advertising," The Fanalis-Amala giggles. "It's a good thing Bad has a bunch of connections, huh?"

"Well, I don't think Kou corp has ever ran commercials for a concert, that's for sure." Aishia peaks over her shoulder, and Catrina follows her gaze. A redheaded man is waving at them, pointing at seats right in front of the stage. "Dad's calling. I'm going to sit with him. Give it your all, Kitten!"

"I'll kick arse!" She cheers, and Aishia smiles proudly as she goes over to her seat.

* * *

**4:30 PM, December 25, Reim Park**

* * *

On the right side of the page, Alibaba and his band got all set up. Somehow Judal had been coerced (or forced) into wearing a santa hat like all the others in the band, grumpily tuning his electric guitar. He, like his bandmates, looks up once Bad's band comes on stage.

Judal's face splits into a giant grin.

Centola waves at Alibaba as she sets up her mic, the blonde singer/pianist's mouth agape. Catrina and Judal wave their guitars to one another, like how Asad and Kassim do the same for their basses. Eren hit a few of his drums, hoping for a response from Hakuryuu who laughs slightly and promptly hits some guitars as well.

Bad comes to the mic and announces,

"Hey everyone! Who is ready for a good ol' fashioned battle of the bands?!" The crowd erupts into cheers. "Great! We are the Silver Bells! And blondie's group over there is Saint Ali and the Reindeers!"

"She said our name with more gusto…" Eren whispers to Catrina, who giggles. Alibaba looks sour as hell.

"Silver Bells are going first, and then Saint Ali and the Reindeers are going after. There are three rounds, and you decide the winner!"

Bad turns to her group.

"Hit it."

* * *

ROUND 1

Silver Bells kicked ass in round one, coming out with a modern rendition of 'Last Christmas'. Centola's singing was pretty much on point, and Eren didn't mess up once despite his stumbling in practice. Bad had high hopes.

And then, unfortunately, Saint Ali came back strong.

"All I want for christmas, iiiiiisssss you!" Alibaba sang it to the ladies, and unfortunately, he killed it. The damn song got the crowd's favor, absolutely destroying Silver Bells on the first round. Bad nearly shot Alibaba then and there...She would've, actually, if she owned a gun.

Round 1: _Alibaba's win._

* * *

ROUND 2

As per the rules, Alibaba's band sang first. Once again the blonde appealed to the ladies, and for the sake of winning Judal even winked a few times. Asad had no doubt that his little brother could literally feel the judgement rolling off him right now. When they finished their version of "White Christmas", Centola told everyone what they were doing next, her cheeks coloring red.

"You sure?" Bad asked, grinning, and the De Coverna nodded.

"F-for the win!" Centola went back to the mic, and took a deep breath. Then she smiled charmingly at the crowd as the pulse of the music started pounding.

"Santa baby, just slip a Sable under the tree," She purs. "For me."

Catcalls rose out of the woodwork, and Alibaba swore on the sidelines. The men in the audience, clearly, were feeling a bit neglected, and now Centola was appealing to them. It was the exact thing Alibaba had done previously with the girls, and it was working.

"So hurry down the chimney tonight." The way Centola blew a kiss at the end of the song is what sealed the deal.

Round 2:_ Bad's win._

* * *

ROUND 3

Alibaba is nervous as hell.

The she-demon (Bad, not Khadeja. They get mixed up a lot.) was on a rampage, going straight for Alibaba's group's title as the best (and only) band in town. Like hell they'd win. Centola, however, was throwing him for a loop. It was hardly a secret that she had a voice of an angel, which was exactly why Bad had persuaded her to sing for them. It was obvious in terms of singing capability Centola would beat him every time, and unfortunately it was the same for attractiveness. Still…

"Guys, we're doing that song next."

Bad eyes Alibaba from across the stage, effortlessly playing her violin.

"They're plotting." She whispers to Catrina, who also peaks over to Alibaba hastily explaining his plan. "I don't like it."

"Me neither." Catrina agrees, but they finish up with their song.

"Walkin' in a winter wonderland…" Centola finishes, smiling largely. She had felt very comfortable after the first song, and singing became effortless after a few moments. She loved it very much, and hoped that everyone else did too.

She stepped back the moment that Alibaba came to the mic.

"Well everyone, this has been a delightful evening. Lots of Christmas cheer. But how about now we play a little something else, hm?"

"What?" Bad squeals, and Alibaba sends a smirk her way as he motions to Judal.

Instantly Centola knows what song it is.

"Guys...They're singing Walk the Moon."

"Walk the Moon?"

"The band. They sing _Shut up and Dance with Me_?"

"Ohhh...Crap."

"What song is this?"

"..." Centola sighs. "Jenny."

* * *

By the time Alibaba finished their song, the audience was in an uproar.

"Final voting!" Bad announces, masking her nervousness. "Alright...Saint Ali and the Reindeers!"

A massive applause starts going. Once it dies down, Bad yells out,

"Silver Bells!"

An applause roars out again, and in surprise the performers stare at one another.

"We won!" Judal yells, but Eren shakes his head.

"No, our applause is louder."

"Helllll no."

"Helllll yes." Asad counters his brother's words.

Seeing a dispute about to start, Catrina runs up to the mic.

"It's a tie! Yay!"

"Catrina!" Everyone choruses, but the crowd goes on cheering anyone, happy for the performance.

* * *

**8:13 PM, December 25, Wazir House**

* * *

"Ah, what a day," Bad sighs once she gets into her house, pulling off her shoes. "I can't believe we tied."

"It's for the best, Princess." Yunan comments, patting his daughter's head. "If Alibaba won, he'd never let you hear the end of it."

"True. If I had won I would've done the same." Bad admits, hugging her dad around the waist. "I'm still bummed."

"No need to be upset," Yunan laughs. "You still have plenty of other wins over that loser!"

Bad blinks at her father, not expecting that. Then she bursts into laughter.

"You're right! Haha!"

* * *

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

*Walk the Moon: I love them. And Jenny happens to be my fav. song XD

HAVE A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS/WHATEVER YOU CELEBRATE AND WINTER BREAK, MY PRETTIES!

BYE~~~~~~~


	16. Valentine's Special: Dinner-Date

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

_Valentine's Special: _

_Dinner-date_

* * *

A lovely evening where threats are traded, knives are thrown, and Sinbad ruins Valentine's for everyone.

* * *

Zein &amp; Sin

"So," Zeina drawls, sipping her wine. "You chose me as your valentine, hm?"

"Wouldn't pick anyone else," Sinbad chimes, giving a wide grin. Zeina rolls her eyes, amused.

"Two years ago I believe you picked a redhead because her "hair was the color of love". Or am I wrong?" Sinbad winces at her sharp memory.

"Didn't you pick that male model to bring to dinner last year?"

"Only because you picked up the victoria's secret model, bragged about it, and then suggested we double date," Her voice is wry, but also very teasing, almost as if the memory was somehow fond to her.

"Touche!" Sinbad wields an imaginary sword, like a fencer. "But now that we're dating, it's only natural for me to take my woman to dinner."

"Mmm, yes, little Italy." Zeina laughs when she looks around the small restaurant, a simple place with awesome chicken alfredo. "If I let you pick the place, however, we'd be dining in some four-star high-rise building."

"I don't understand why you hate high-class restaurants,"

"They're expensive and lack the simple joys of the little places." She clarifies to him, her nose up as if she's better than that. "And I like the privacy."

"Priva- crap." Sinbad quickly locks gazes with Zeina, whispering, "Aishia and the devil just walked in."

Zeina casually peeks over her shoulder and then giggles at Sinbad.

"How are you guys in a fight?"

"He thinks I'm the one who got Masrur to ask Catrina out. Now I'm dead to him."

"Just lay low and don't ruin dinner," She commands quietly, sipping more of her wine. "And if you do ruin dinner you better get me damn good chocolates."

* * *

Ai &amp; That Guy She's Married To

Aishia loved italian food, which is why she chose the restaurant. Her only regret was that she didn't realize Sinbad and Zeina were actually dining there, despite Sinbad's email about how good the place was. She was friends with Zeina of course, but...

"I take it you don't like Sinbad?" Aishia says, giggling. Her husband frowns deeply, unamused.

"He's always there. It's like stalking, but he always plays it off like accidents."

Aishia giggles, leaning forward with her elbows, getting into his line of vision.

"Dear, it's Valentine's. Unless you're _finally_ going to be confessing your feelings to Mr. Tison, please pay attention to your wife." He begins to smile before his eyes catch the movement of the restaurant's door and his face pales.

"Oh hell no," He growls. Aishia inwardly groans and looks at the door. Their daughter and her boyfriend walk in hand in hand, Catrina beaming at him. Aishia had dragged her husband out to dinner because she knew that Catrina was planning on having a date with Masrur and that her father would have an aneurysm if he found out.

The Amala laughs a bit hopelessly and grips her husband's hand.

"Don't get angry-"

_"If he hurts_ _my_ _baby girl I will destroy him."_

* * *

Cat &amp; Rory

It was a dream come true.

Catrina had begged her mom to get her dad out of the house so that she could go out with her boyfriend, and it worked like a charm. Catrina had time to do girly things she usually didn't do: putting on makeup, fixing her hair, wearing the pretty dress Centola had helped her buy. It was Valentine's and also the first year she got to celebrate it with a beau, and she was extremely excited.

The night started out great. She got picked up by Masrur at six and they went to a movie. During it she laid her head on his shoulder, and every now and then he squeezed her hand- usually when something romantic happened on screen. It was sweet. Then they decided to go to dinner, choosing a little italian restaurant that seemed nice and was reasonably empty; not to mention Masrur said that Sinbad suggested it.

She wasn't paying attention to the rest of of the restaurant when she went in, preferring instead to just focus on her boyfriend and think about how awesome it was to have a boyfriend. Though he was older, she liked Masrur a lot and neither of them were planning on doing much of anything until she was older.

"What's your favorite color?" Catrina smiles cheekily, her cheeks probably pink. Masrur rolls his eyes but he's smiling slightly.

"I like red...I guess."

"Lucky you," She hums, pointing to his hair color. He runs a hand through his hair and nods, sitting down at their assigned table. She sits as well, not looking at the menu. "What do you think looks good?"

He scans through and shrugs.

"I hear the chicken alfredo is good-"

"HI." Both flinch at the loud shout. Alarmed, they look across the restaurant where Catrina's parents sit, her Dad looking like a murderer wearing a way too wide smile. "HOW'S IT GOING GUYS?"

"Daddy!" Catrina squeals. She quickly tries to devise a way to get Masrur out of the restaurant without him dying, watching how her father's hand twitches toward the knife on his table.

_Oh god not another Mother's day incident._

"It's not what it looks like, Daddy," She tries, wishing she wasn't wearing make up and that her hair wasn't pinned up with her mother's pretty barrette.

"That's a nice dress, Cat," Her dad responds, hand curling around the knife.

"Thanks, Daddy."

"BUT NO BOY SHOULD SEE MY DAUGHTER LOOKING SO PRETTY!" He yells. It's then that Catrina sees Sinbad in the corner trying to slink into his chair.

"Mr. Tison!" Catrina yells, trying to distract her father. "Thanks for the heads up about this restaurant! It's wonderful!"

Sinbad pales as he realizes that she just hardcore threw him under the bus. Her dad instantly turns to him as Masrur gives a small cough that she recognizes as his laugh.

"Nice," He tells her as she points to the front door. He quickly presses a kiss to the top of her head before darting out the door, saying, "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," She says dreamily, before watching her father throw the knife at the wall and see it lodge in firmly.

Then Centola and Alibaba walk in.

_And it gets better._

* * *

Cent &amp; Ali

Centola should've known not to go into the restaurant purely because of the ominous vibe, but Sinbad sent out this email about how great the place was, so she decided to give it a try. Also, she was craving chicken alfredo and Alibaba was being so cute and dorky about privacy. Though it wasn't technically a date, Centola did ask Alibaba to be her valentine since she wanted the boys at their schools to leave her alone. Alibaba had agreed, and took her out to dinner in order to fulfil his "valentine" duties.

The whole time before Centola was giddy and excited, picking out a dress to wear with Catrina when they went shopping at that friday. She also had snuck over to Catrina's house to get ready with the Fanalis-Amala, which was super fun.

When Alibaba picked her up, he had a bouquet of red roses that made her want to squeal. She put them in a vase in her room before leaving her house and inquiring what he wanted to do. He had sputtered so adorably, complimenting how pretty she looked and also nervously asking if she wanted to go out to eat. She had said yes and enjoyed watching his attempts to be casual about the whole thing.

Then into the restaurant/hell.

She first saw Catrina sipping lemonade, then watched Cat's dad try to kill Sinbad with his glare. Sinbad and Zeina were pretending not to notice it, but Zeina was smiling a shit-eating smile that seemed out of place on her beautiful face. Aishia was sort of ignoring all of them and looking slightly like she wanted her husband to pay more attention to her rather than another man.

"We can always leave," Alibaba whispered, but Centola made the fatal mistake of smiling and saying it would be alright.

She was wrong.

* * *

Ja'whore &amp; the She-Demon

"I can't believe I'm taking you on a date," Ja'far groans, pressing on the gas of the car. Beside him, Khadeja gracefully gives him the finger before responding,

"You lost the bet fair and square. Now I get free dinner." The bet had something to do with live roosters and Asad, but he didn't really want to get into that. Now he was spending his Valentine's taking a woman who drove him mad out to dinner.

"Let's go here," Khadeja points to an italian place, "It looks fun...And I'm pretty sure Sinbad suggested it to me."

"Sure, yeah." He parks outside, carefully taking out the keys to the car.

"You're paying."

"That was the deal," He grumbles, grabbing his wallet. While he didn't really want to go to dinner, he still tried to look nice with a dress shirt and tie. He felt a little outclassed by Khadeja, who had actually decided to look better than her usual t-shirt and jeans. She wore a white blouse and navy skirt with heels, and she actually looked really pretty.

It bothered him because he knew she was secretly a she-devil, even though she didn't look that way with lip gloss on.

He was so preoccupied with these thoughts that he didn't notice who was in the restaurant until he was seated.

Then he looked up and saw Sinbad sending him a clear signal to save his ass.  
…

_I just wanted chicken alfredo._

* * *

Eri &amp; Ei

"Italian?"

"Sure!" Hakuei happily chirps, pointing to a sweet, unassuming restaurant. It wasn't like they were out on a date, but neither had plans for Valentine's and to save himself from having to go up to his family's house he asked Hakuei if she wanted dinner. Luckily Eren knew the italian place would be open, he received an email from Sinbad about how good it was.

So, together, they made their way to the restaurant.

Eren opened the door like a gentleman, ushering Hakuei in.

Then regretted being born.

"What'd you say about my mother you-?!"

"-SINBAD THAT'S NOT-"

"-more lemonade, please!"

"Ali, put that menu down-!"

"-Don't let him pick up that knife-!"

"Chinese?" Eren quickly suggests, and Hakuei nods rapidly. They turn just as Khadeja grabs the back of their shirts.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asks chillingly. _"The chicken alfredo is great tonight."_

He should've known this would happen. He should've peered through the windows, or just _looked_.

DAMN YOU HINDSIGHT!

* * *

En &amp; Mei &amp; Mei

Like the many before him, Koumei didn't actually look into the italian restaurant before entering, but his story was different. He was going out to dinner with his girlfriend, Ting Mei. Like every year, Valentine's was pretty much the only day that he made an effort in being romantic; not that Ting Mei cared very much, the angel.

But unfortunately, he was distracted.

Not by her eyes, no, that would be too sweet.

Not by a car crash, no, that'd be too dark.

He was distracted by the clingy nature of his dateless elder brother. Since Kouen was crashing and Koumei's because his house was being fumigated, Ting Mei made the mistake of casually asking if he wanted to come to dinner. She was only saying it because Kouen looked lonely in front of the couch, she didn't expect him to say yes.

But he did, and now was strolling casually in between Koumei and his girlfriend.

Koumei loved his brother, but was probably going to strangle him.

Then, they entered the restaurant.

Suddenly they were confronted with the sight of Khadeja trying to stab Sinbad as Alibaba and Catrina fight in the corner and Aishia threatens to end her marriage by running away with Zeina to Las Vegas.

They realize just how big a mistake they've made.

But as they turn to leave, they find the exit blocked by a very solemn Eren and Hakuei.

"Where do you think you're going?" Eren asks, his eyes shadowed by his hair. Hakuei finishes, her voice dead,

_"The chicken is great."_

* * *

Asad &amp; 'Gyoku

Asad looked across the street, spotting a nice looking italian restaurant on the corner. Beside him and holding onto his arm was his girlfriend, Kougyoku. She spots the same sight as him and gushes,

"Oh! Sinbad said that place has great food! We should go."

But because Asad actually has the sense to narrow his eyes and peer through the window, and because he doesn't like Sinbad talking to his girl, he shakes his head.

"Oh hell nah, 'Gyoku. I just saw Khadeja suckerpunch Ja'far. I am not going in there."

"Really?" Kougyoku eagerly tries to look in even as her boyfriend starts to pull her toward an open, _civilized_ restaurant. "A _suckerpunch_?"

* * *

Yamu &amp; Yunan

"Happy Valentine's day, honey," Yunan coos, kissing his wife's temple. Yamu gasps happily and hugs her husband, staring at her gift with wonder.

"How'd you do this?"

"It took a lot of work and some identity theft, but I managed," Yunan proudly points in the window of the restaurant, beaming at the several fights going on at once. "I hacked Sinbad's email and sent out messages to everyone telling them to come here for dinner. Isn't it great, my dearest?"

"Oh, baby…" Yamu kisses her husband, her heart warmed by his unique gift. "You _shouldn't_ have."

"Oh, but I'm so glad I did. And now everyone's going to blame Sinbad!" Yunan nods, happily. "What a good Valentine's day. Hey, wanna go get fondue now? Bad's over at Aladdin's."

"Oooh, fondue! _Fancy_."

And the couple leaves the chaotic restaurant in the dust.

* * *

Bad &amp; Aladdin 

"Oh, hey, Bad?"

"Yes?" Bad turns and Aladdin smiles at her, handing her a heart-shaped box.

"I got you chocolates! Happy Valentine's!"

Bad accepts the gift dumbly, staring for several seconds. then she blushes heavily and practically shouts,

"T-t-t-t-thank y-you!"

* * *

Happy Valentine's day, guys! I spent today writing this, cleaning my room and hoping that the boy I like would ask me out. But what else is new, right? Thanks for reading! Have a _romantic day~_

Got any questions or suggestions? Something wrong about the chapter? Grammatical errors, something you didn't like? PM me or leave it in the reviews, I will reply and see what I can do to make the story better/clearer for y'all to understand. ILY MY DARLING READERS!

BYE~~~~~~~


	17. Chapter 17: OC List

Hey, so I decided to post this OC list on BtS instead of on my profile. Mainly because after the World Exploration Arc I'll be changing some shi- _stuff _with a few of the characters and so this is more like a "reference" of how they used to be...*Smirks evilly*. This is how the characters looked from ch 1-32.

**OC List ****(AKA Your Guide to Starry Skies OCs)**

* * *

_Main Characters_

**Bad (AKA the Princess)- **An eleven year old with red eyes (though it's mentioned in the other that her eyes used to be pink), porcelain skin and long, straight pink hair that she usually puts in a ponytail except when distracted or busy. She has a petite stature and wears a purple dress with a matching purple sash around her waist, along with having one WHITE gold earring in her right ear and multiple bangles on each wrist. She carries around a Divine Stave, which she calls 'Sheba', in honor of the dead Queen and it's previous owner.

**Centola (AKA the Temptress) - **Green eyes that are compared to mirrors and glass, seventeen year old Centola has a gentle, very beautiful face and long waist length strawberry blond hair. She usually wears her long Balbaddian dress except for occasions when she's TRAVELING or with her aunt, and doesn't wear much make-up or jewelry. On her chest sometimes a gold flower with a sun and moon imprinted on the center shows up when doing certain magic spells. (She's around 5'5'')

**Eren (AKA the Mountain) - **A 6'5'' green eyed and haired twenty one year old, Eren has a massive build and an usually hard time doing delicate things. He wears simple WHITE harem pants and a green sash around his chest, and he has a silver cuff on his left wrist that hold his Djinn, Myeshia. He spends a lot of time combing his hair so it doesn't get messy, and often carries around a hunting bow and a sheath of arrows from his compound. He has a magic bag around his neck that can hold an infinite amount of things while still being feather-light. Recently he gained a scar across his chest from the fight outside of Seere.

**Catrina (AKA the Bird) - **The fifteen year old girl has Amala-orange eyes and Fanalis-red hair, which she puts half up in a bun tied with a gift from her father: a green laurel with blue orbs on it. She wears a light pink dress and no shoes, and often wears a long sleeve on her left arm tied with a WHITE ribbon and a WHITE ring to hide her long scar/burn she gained during the mysterious night she left her homeland. She and Morgiana are noted to look similar being Fanalis and sometimes are mistaken as sisters.

**Asad (AKA the Shadow) - **Asad is a twenty year old man with onyx eyes and silver hair (Asad is actually very handsome, and that's why he's able to charm the women around him). It's been revealed that it's his gift that causes him to look this way, because when he was awakening his magic when he was young it went wrong and the color in his blue eyes and brown hair was 'sucked' away by his magic. Since then, he kept his feathery hair in a ponytail down his back and often wears black samurai-like kimono. He has two swords, Hachi and Hikaru, which he has strapped to his waist, and he always wears a black heart shaped locket around his neck with holds inside a painted picture of a marigold, which was a gift from his sister.

* * *

_Balbadd_

**Mrs. Gamela - **Grumpy old employer of Centola, Mrs. Gamela had cloudy gray eyes (from cataracts) and gray hair, and often walked with a hunch despite her broad shoulders. Never very pretty, she was once famous in the Slums of Balbadd for being a quickwitted and smart woman (being as she could read, write and do math), gaining the nickname which was later passed down to Lilliana, 'The Queen of the Slums'.

**Shana - **A pretty woman with long brown hair and an attractive body who worked as a waitress at Mrs. Gamela's bar. She had three children- all of which died- that she named after her dear friends (Alibaba, Centola and Lilliana).

**Hana - **Her appearance isn't mentioned either, but Sparrow-chan says that she was always thought of with black hair and gray eyes. She's nice, but often thinks more about providing for her family than protecting herself, making her seem absent-minded. She was saved from rapists by Eren and Catrina, who she thinks of as her saviors.

* * *

_De Covernas_

**Lilliana - **Younger sister of Zeina and mother to Centola, Lilliana might not've been a Temptress but she was still very pretty, with the same glassy mirror-like green eyes Centola has and wavy brown hair. She also had tan skin, which Centola inherited, though a darker shade. Lilliana loves to sing.

**Zeina - **A beauty of the highest ranking due to her Temptress status, Zeina is of unknown age but looks to be in her midtwenties, despite it being said that she is older than Sinbad. Zeina has blond curls and deep maroon eyes, along with thick lashes and a heart-shaped face. Zeina is the oldest of the four De Coverna sisters, and thus is the head of a world wide 'spy NETWORK'. She's been noted to have many names, and often pretends to enjoy living an extravagant lifestyle to impress her lackies when in truth she prefers simpler housing. Zeina has an PASSION for gardening.

**Alexio - **An twelve year old boy who used to live on the streets, Alexio has brown hair that Zeina cut and striking blue eyes. He wears simple TRAVELING clothes, since Zeina is taking him with her on her trip. He was named by Zeina, and feels a sense of loyalty toward her. He's mentioned to remind Zeina of her brother-in-law, though which sister her brother-in-law is married to isn't mentioned. He carries with him a simple ring. He is called 'little dove' by Zeina.

**Dream (AKA Kalapini) - **She has no mentioned appearance, but is about twelve years old, having been adopted by Zeina when she was five. She has a mysterious ability to be able to bring people's conscious into a dream which she can manipulate, though when she was young her ability was uncontrollable. She is called 'little Dreamer' (That's how she got the nickname Dream) by Zeina.

**Maysun - **Nawfar's identical twin, Maysun is mentioned to be the overseer of the De Coverna's clan's residence while her older sister is away dealing with their businesses. Dream mentions that things and people are 'different' when Zeina's not around and Maysun's in charge. Maysun likes to paint and is not a Temptress.

**Nawfar - **Identical twin to Maysun, she hasn't been mentioned yet in the story, except that she has bright hair like her twin. Nawfar is a Temptress and likes to compose music.

**Farida - **Mother of the four De Coverna sisters Zeina, Lilliana, Maysun and Nawfar, Farida had a fun loving spirit and wavy brown hair and eyes. As a Temptress, she was told to be beautiful, and had a nomadic way about herself. She loved her daughters, and never married a man, having sworn to never marry but not to never have children. Though the sisters won't aware of it, Farida secretly trained Zeina as the next head of the spy NETWORK, imparting knowledge on her oldest that the other sisters didn't know.

**Khadeja - **Attendant of Centola De Coverna, Khadeja is a twenty five year old woman who has a running joke about her that she's a 'self-proclaimed servant'. Khadeja has short black curls and amethyst eyes. She's a second-class singularity, having what is called a 'connection' with the Earth, which allows her to learn things about places or people just by looking at them. Before she met Centola, she was locked up by her masters who abused her power and neglected her, and when she was rescued by Centola, Khadeja swore to serve her for life. Khadeja used to have wild long hair.

* * *

_Chandlens_

**Eren's 5 brothers (Makin, Azzam, Tawil, Wasim, Haroun) - **Each have a similar body to Eren except none are as tall or muscular as him. They all have green hair and eyes except for Tawil, who has brown hair. Makin is the only one that is known to be married.

**Eren's 3 sisters (Azusena, Zayna, Zafirah) - **Each are great cooks and seamstresses, having been raised by their mother who was a very hard worker. They all have green hair and eyes, except for Zafirah, who has brown hair. Azusena is the only one known to be married and has a son.

**Uzza - **Being frail looking and brown haired, people discouraged her husband from marrying her, which he did anyway. Uzza later gave birth to nine healthy children (including Eren), shocking her new family and earning her respect in the compound. She manages her lodge's kitchens, and is known to manipulate her children with her voice and weak appearance.

**Hanif - **Green haired and eyed, he has a cheerful personality that drew Eren in like a moth to a flame. He ignored his family's advice and married Uzza due to his love for her, and was shocked when she gave birth to nine children. He is noted to be shorter than Eren, which fuels his pride at his youngest son.

**Juliet - **Eren's first love. She has light green hair and dark green eyes, and is a excellent cook praised by Uzza herself. Though only mentioned in 'Beneath the Stars' in Sparrow-Chan's side story 'Eren and Juliet', she fell in love with Eren at first sight and they (sorta) dated for a while before Eren realized that she was related to him (distant cousins) and got sort of freaked out and in the end never got to say goodbye to her when he left with Bad on their trip.

**Tarek -** Azusena's husband, Eren's brother-in-law and father to Dabir.

**Dabir - **Azusena's son and nephew to Eren.

**Kalila - **Makin's wife and Eren's sister-in-law.

* * *

_Kou Empire_

**Marigold - **Asad's younger sister. She and Asad both used to have brown hair and blue eyes, but she was killed by Al Thamen when trying to flee with Asad from their parents' murderers. Before she died, she gave Asad her locket, which he painstakingly hid and kept for years.

**Xia Kaidu** \- Asad's teacher who taught him the twin sword SPIN style that was in his family for years. Though he is aware of Asad's nature to push people away, he shows to have some compassion for the boy Kaidu began teaching when he was ten, thinking of him as a son and trying to get him to marry one of his two daughters. Kaidu has gray hair with a matching beard and lilac eyes. He wears a gray kimono with a black obi, as the dark colors are traditional for the people who use his family's sword style, which is why Asad wears a black kimono.

**Xia Daoqing** \- Kaidu's older daughter, being eighteen years old. Daoqing has dark purple hair and lilac eyes like her father, but holds a resentment toward Asad for being taught by her father when Kaidu refused to teach her because she was a girl. Daoqing (called Dao-chan by Asad, though that's to annoy her) then taught herself the sword style and often challenges Asad to matches, though Asad always beats her because of her lack of fluency in the movements. She wears a black kimono that is cut off at her knees with a silver petal design and a WHITE obi.

**Xia Chabi** \- Kaidu's younger daughter, being fourteen years old. Chabi doesn't know the twin sword spin style, but often encourages her sister to do her best and helping with her training. This inflates Dao-chan's ego until the match comes and Chabi, allured by Asad's good looks and bad-boy personality usually cheers for the sixth head, which makes Daoqing lose confidence. Chabi has lilac eyes and hair, which she puts into two ponytails unlike her sister who wears hers in a low ponytail like Asad's. Unlike her sister, Chabi's crush on Asad is obvious and Asad mentioned that if not for her age (and his feelings for Kougyoku), he wouldn't mind marrying her. She wears a gray kimono with a purple obi and wooden sandals. She has pointed out more than once, to Daoqing's ire, that her older sister wears the colors of Asad's hair and eyes a lot.

**Ting Mei** \- After being assigned by Koutoku (AKA Gyokuen) to work for Asad to help with his new work load, the Shadow took the twenty-five year old under his wing. She has white hair (which is commented on often, to her annoyance) that she ties into a bun at the base of her neck and wears a pink-and-orange layered kimono on and off hours. Her gray eyes are often described as 'scary and strict'. Mei and and Koumei are secretly dating, but in all honesty Asad, Kouen, Kouha and Kougyoku all know about it, and most of the maids too.

**Momoka** \- This twelve year old has a round face and orangish-pink eyes and hair that is tied into two buns covered with green cloth. When she was saved by Asad from slavery when he decided to make her his personal maid, Asad named her 'Momoka', which means 'peach girl' or 'girl of peaches'. Momoka then started to work for Asad, doing his chores and reminding him to do his work whenever he forgets to. She wears a green qipao (a body hugging one-piece dress for chinese women) with small slits on the side and pointed shoes.

* * *

_Amala Tribe_

**Aishia - **Catrina's mother, a woman with black hair tied into a braided ponytail, is told to be a highly trained 'Alpha' in her compound along with being extremely pretty. Though she used to live in Visurbis (the Amala's city), but after returning from her trip to the outside world she moved to the 'Omega' farmlands where she was born to raise her daughter, Catrina.

**Jabari - **Aishia's childhood friend, a arrogant Alpha who had telltale black Amala hair and orange eyes. Jabari wanted to marry Aishia, but after he went behind her back to ask her father she ran away because she didn't love him. He was called handsome by his wife, Dalila. He was killed by Catrina after hatching a plot to kill her.

**Faraji - **Aishia's other childhood friend with floor-length black hair and orange eyes. He was always made fun of because he had such long hair, but he never cut it because it made him feel special (and because both Jabari and Aishia said they liked it). He was categorized as an 'Omega', and was very timid. He was killed by Catrina after being convinced by Jabari that killing her was a good idea.

**Dalila - **Aishia's nemesis. Though her appearance is unknown, being an Amala she has black hair and orange eyes. She was second best to Aishia, and after Aishia left became number one in the compound. She later married Jabari after becoming pregnant and had a son. She and Jabari were both killed by Catrina however, which left her son parentless.

**Tendaji- **The son of Jabari and Dalila, who were killed by Catrina. Black hair and orang eyes. In Seere, he seemed to have hatred of Catrina, but is that still the case in real life...?

* * *

_Our World (Otherwise known as the ironic characters)_

**Jane Hullburg - **Not necessarily ugly, but not pretty either, fifteen year old Jane Hullburg was often looked over and forgotten due to her simple brown hair and eyes, despite being an amazing and nationally recognized genius. She wore glasses and described by Alice as, 'having features that blended together, making it hard to distinguish them from one another'. Jane was very serious and had little to no emotions- at least, none that she showed. She was reborn as Centola, the beautiful (and a bit of a crybaby) Temptress. Sometimes Centola hears Jane talking to her, but whether or not this is just her imagination or the divided personality of the two (Centola being in control and Jane just talking to her and giving her advice) is unknown.

**Charlie Mason - **Charlie Mason was a short kid (contrasting to his reborn self Eren, who's 6'5'') who was often made fun of for being so small and nervous. He was killed when he was hit by a car, which was witnessed by Jane. (Sparrow-chan says that Charlie had a bit of a crush on Jane.)

**Alice Marsden - **Alice had snow white hair when she was seven, but then was diagnosed with very rare lung cancer, which lead to the loss of her hair by chemo and a permanent stay at the hospital. Eventually it hurt for her to even move, so she was confined to her room with her soap operas, practically paralyzed (and yet she was reborn as a Fanalis...). She had blue eyes and pale veiny skin due to her frail body. While she thought that it was her sickness that would kill her, it was actually a fire that happened in the hospital, thus making Catrina's fear of fire.

**John Steiner - **Though not much is known about John, he was told to be sarcastic and narcissistic, though it may be because of his bad home life and he didn't like to be around many people. He bled out in an alley while being held by Jane. Asad still retains John's sarcasm and smirk, but is way less narcissistic than his past life, having had seen Jane in his final moments and realizing that he shouldn't have been so vain. Although, Sparrow-chan says that the reason Asad is very popular with the ladies is because John was also a player, and his confidence was passed onto Asad (it helps that he's handsome, too).

* * *

_Al Thamen_

**Hitomi- **A man who looks young but thought to be in his thirties, Hitomi is _straight psychotic. _Hitomi has brown eyes and a crooked nose along with blonde hair. He wears clothing like a desert merchant's, with a dark red sash wrapped around his waist and harem pants with a shirt. He also has a Dark Metal Vessel that's a small knife. When in Dark Djinn Equip he uses strength magic.

* * *

_Weapons (Yes this is a category)_

**Hachi (Asad's right handed sword) - **Hachi is Asad's sword with a white hilt and handle with a black blade. It has a design of yellow ribbons twisting up the blade, and it's name means 'bee'. It was named by Judal, and is the opposite of Hikaru. It has a yellow sheath.

**Hikaru (Asad's left handed sword) - **Hikaru is Asad's sword with a black hilt and handle with a white blade. It has a design of blue ribbons twisting up the blade, and it's name means 'shining'. It was named by Judal, and is the opposite of Hachi. It has a blue sheath.

**Daoqing's Swords - **Daoqing has two swords, like Asad, but without names. She has a left handed sword with purple ribbon designs on it and a right handed sword with pink ribbon designs on it, again like Asad's, which matching sheaths.

**Khadeja's Knives - **Khadeja's knives are two silver knives with a hilt formed by two green serpents twisting over one another and staring at a blue gem. They are are longer than her hand but smaller than her forearm, and she straps them onto her thighs.

**Temptation Magic - **Magic used by both Zeina and Centola. It can be 'injected' into their words for smaller spells, but during larger spells it becomes a tangible 'mist' of sorts, Zeina's mist being white and Centola's being pink.

**Eren's Djinn Equip - **Eren gains white hair during this Djinn Equip with Myeshia, and basically gets pimped out. With leather boots, metal plated leather gloves, a black armguard and gladiator style metal and leather skirt, damn if he ain't a badass. He also gains a navy sash around his shoulders with gold threading, and blue toran hieroglyphics all across his body and a gold necklace holding a ring like the one Myeshia has. From his foot pop out two pairs of Hermes wings (you know, the guy with the winged sandals) which he uses to fly. His weapon of choice is a long silver hunting bow like the one he usually uses, with a black string. White arrows appear when he pulls back on the string, and in his Equip he can also use gravity magic.

**Eren's Magic Bag- **The magic bag that holds all their Dungeon Treasure and personal belongings, it's a small bag hung around Eren's neck that is purple with blue swirling designs. Being as it's very tiny, people often overlook it. Whenever Bad's not using Sheba, she asks Eren to put it in the bag.

* * *

Sorry it wasn't a real chapter :P just had to post it somewhere, ya know ;)


	18. Red Snow

Hey everybody! I realized I haven't updated this in like a thousand years. So I'm updating. HURRAY!

**Beneath the Stars**

**By Gold Sparrow**

Red Snow

* * *

**Summary**: "Why is it...That he had to break his first friend in such a way…?"

**Synopsis**: Koumei's lover, Ting Mei, started out as something so much more simple...And, eventually, it is his fault that the brilliant woman can never achieve the things she wants.

* * *

She's always been a weird girl.

It isn't as though she _acted_ weird, oh no. It's just that she looks strange, if you only see her in passing in the hallways of Rakushou. Her hair is as white as bone, kept neatly tucked in a bun at the base of her neck. She has stern eyes, eyes that hold discipline and strictness in every sweeping gaze she passes over those around her. There are no exceptions to who receives this gaze, not even nobles in higher ranking than her. This, coupled with her pale skin, gives the illusion that she is, in fact, made of ice and snow.

The day Koumei meets her is a weird day as well, since she does nothing to recognize his status as a Prince. Of course, many don't, but that's because they ignore him. She's fifteen years old, and he's seventeen. Gangly and awkward, he's leaving the library to go to his chambers to sleep when he runs into her. He half-expects her to stumble back or fall, but instead she holds strong and pushes _him_ back, glaring upwards.

"Excuse me." She says politely, but it's obvious she blames him for the entire incident.

"You're excused." Yes.

That's right.

This is the day that Koumei _finally _decides to try his hand at comedy.

And guess what?

HE SUCKS AT IT.

_I SUCK AT IT._

The girl blinks, her face twitching with shock. Quickly, she composes herself. Smoothing down her kimono, she says in a clipped tone,

"Your obi is undone."

It's at that moment that Koumei also realizes that _since _his sash is undone, his layers of clothing only meet briefly at his waist. Meaning that all of his pasty, white chested glory is shown to the world. He chokes on his own spit, but tries to come off like, 'yes, this is just how I roll'.

"So?" Koumei asks nonchalantly, and the woman gives some sort of depressed, disappointed sigh.

"Goodbye." She sidesteps him and enters the library he exited.

* * *

This is one of many encounters they'll have, but she never seems to remember him despite the shockingly awkward situations they are _always_ thrust into. He learns that her name is 'Ting Mei'. Truthfully, even though she's odd and out of place, he still doesn't try to find out more about her. He's not the type to search for gossip about a person he hardly knows, and instead works on becoming even more informed on battle strategies and intense literature.

Then, one day, he sees Ting Mei once more in one of Kou's many libraries. She's sitting in a chair with perfect posture, but strewn around her haphazardly are piles upon piles of books. Her gaze- a piercing one resembling gray steel knives- slices into him when he tries to turn away and leave.

"Do you need something?" She asks politely, marking her place in her book and addressing him. He shakes his head.

"I was looking for…" He catches the title of the book she's reading. "...That."

"You are interested in war strategies?" Ting Mei asks, curiosity piqued. "If so, you may have this when I am finished." Koumei shuffles awkwardly, not sure whether or not to point out to her that he's the Second Prince and she should really be giving it to him right away.

"Alright." He finally gives in. She studies him some more, tilting her head to the side like a curious owl.

"You're the man who forgot to tie his sash a few weeks ago, correct?" He nods. "I see."

Silence returns, and she flicks open the book once more, tracing her fingers over the lines.

"Why do you like war?" He blinks.

"Why do I…'Like' war?"

"Yes."

"I don't. But I think that war is necessary in order to obtain true peace and unity." She looks up at him oddly, lips parting.

"True peace and unity…" She echos, and smiles minisculely. It's unsuiting to her, but not because she's too proper for it. She _does_ look like her features are suppose to be clear and mysterious, all sharp angles and sweet gazes under her lashes. But instead of focusing the beauty she was born with, Ting Mei decides to dress modestly and sit with her back straight up and down. She decides to be cold, but almost because whatever warmth she had was taken from her.

"What about you?" Ting Mei quirks her lips further, eyes still scanning the lines of the book like the darting wings of a hummingbird.

"Me? I don't have an opinion on war. I just believe that it will give me a purpose." That throws him for a loop.

"Purpose? What do you mean?"

"You have something to fight for that makes you result to war, no? Me, I feel that if I can use my skills for that, then I myself will gain a purpose...Does that make sense?" She questions him, but the tilt of her face makes him know that she already knows that answer, and is testing him.

"...No. It doesn't. To make yourself a tool for war...That's a pitiful existence." Koumei tells her solemnly, watching how her face relaxes and she smiles more.

"Alright then. I suppose I understand you now." She flips the book shut, and hands it to him. She bows slightly and tells him, "I finished. Thank you for waiting, Prince Koumei."

* * *

He couldn't understand her that well after that, even though she claimed to know him. They begin to see each other more frequently, passing in the halls and briefly discussing books. It's nice. Pleasant. She does not burden him with time-wasting conversation, and he appreciates her ability to adjust his clothes for him when he wakes from a nap in the library. He, on the other hand, can do nothing to please her. He wants to please her.

(It's a strange feeling, when you have a friend you don't want to loose.)

Then there comes a day that, in just a few strokes of fate, breaks whatever semblence of positive acquaintanceship they have into a million startling pieces.

"_I am Ting Mei of the Ting Household. It would be an honor to play in this match."_

He never could've imagined it would end up this way, with her swiftly beating opponent after opponent in shoji. Her eyes look so calm but so _alive_, her hands enrapturing him by the way they dance across the board. He forces himself to pay attention to his own shogi board. His brother and King made it quite clear that winning this shoji tournament would guarantee their father's graces for their next campaign, and he will not let Kouen down.

He just needs to win. He just needs to focus on the wrinkles of his opponent's hands, ignore the proud gazes of their majesties and his brothers, keep winning and winning and winning until-

Until him and her are the last ones left.

Across from him, Ting Mei sits. Her back ram-road straight, her gaze stern and disciplined. She had bested her side of the latter, and he had championed his side. Now they are in the finals, the last and the greatest, facing one another in front of the royal court.

"Your Highness, Prince Koumei," Ting Mei gently arcs her back, presenting to him the model for kneeling-curtsies everywhere. "It is a true honor to play against you."

"...Yes." He decides, still shocked to see her. Murmurs spring up from around the room.

_"A woman playing against the prince?"  
_

_"Her skill is remarkable!"  
_

_"But a _woman?"

_"Isn't she the ward of the Ting family?" _

He ignores all of this. All that matters is that he's about to play a match against his first friend, and he must beat her. It is a sad thing to have to do, because Ting Mei is ever-so proud, but it must happen.

The match begins.

At first he is calm. He does not waver once in any of his movements, but as time ticks on, and strategies are planned and executed, Koumei finds himself continually surprised by his opponent. Their hands never seem to cease moving, doling out new positions and new placements with wit and skill. They dance for what seems like hours the dance of war, eyes meeting once or twice in quick, indescribable moments of joy. They're having _fun_. They're loosing themselves in the happiness of getting to do what they love with a friend.

Then it hits Koumei.

All at once and slowly building, something so genius he didn't realize she was creating. A plan so flawlessly executed that he doesn't understand how trapped he is until he _is__. _Ting Mei's beating him. A powerful, frightening feeling of being overpowered fills his senses. He has never been beaten before, even when he was a mere child playing against scholars. He's done things none of the minds of Rakushou have ever been able to do; he has put his mind to work on a variety of difficult and taxing jobs that he's accomplished with time and thought. Koumei is Kouen's right hand, his shadow-king, who rules in his stead and installs the necessary components of destruction in order to overcome other empires.

He's being beaten.

He launches into a counter-attack, working quick and smoothly. He tries out strategies that in the past have never failed him, and incorporates new techniques to destroy her. Each one fails. He looses more and more ground, until her final piece hits the board and she forces him out of the game. Ting Mei sits as still as she has the entire game, but now a smile begins to climb her face. She has won.

Koumei has lost.

* * *

Koumei hardly has the willpower to look his brother in the face, unable to stand that he lost. Koumei, who is only able to be as lazy and carefree as he is because he _never _looses. Kouen does not say a word about his loss, merely slapping a hand on his little brother's shoulder and grunting. Koumei is forgiven, but he hardly forgives himself.

The rumors circulate viciously after the tournament.

Some are about Koumei, about the famed strategist's loss.

Others are about Ting Mei.

The ones about Ting Mei...He doesn't like to think about them. He has never been one for gossip, but the pure viciousness of the stories that reach his ears repulse him. They say she cheated. They say she shamelessly distracted Koumei with her femininity. They say that she's nothing more than the strange-looking ward of the Ting family, whom some whisper the Head's wife bore for another man. "They"- the court, the harem- create ruthless explanations for Koumei's loss, bringing Ting Mei down into the mud in order to put her down.

Koumei tells Kouen to make Ting Mei a General.

It is an impulsive, strange request, but Koumei asks his brother it anyway. He knows that's Ting Mei's dream, to use herself for war. And who knows, with her fighting by their side as a strategist, they may be able to capture west far faster than anticipated. Kouen stares at him for a long while, before nodding, saying he'll talk to their father about it.

_Then, something horrible happens._

Koutoku doesn't only reject the request. He personally victimizes Ting Mei.

Koumei is helpless as his father brings Ting Mei before the court and forces her to confess to cheating- _in order to preserve Koumei's honor_, in Koutoku's words. She is frightened, but the fear in her eyes is hidden by her hard, contracted features. The Ting family bow their heads in disgrace, the Head bitterly announcing his disappointment with his _adopted_ daughter. Ting Mei is humiliated, shunned, and hated. It is all Koumei's fault.

* * *

Why is it...That he had to break his first friend in such a way…?

* * *

Three years later, Koumei watches Ting Mei with a familiar boy.

He is silver haired and black eyed, wearing robes of black. Swords glitter at his side, and his face promises memories of a difficult, bloody life, but Ting Mei does not seem to notice. She sits watching this boy practice his swordsmanship, yelling at him to work harder and complaining about her marriage prospects. Things have calmed considerably in the court, though Ting Mei is still known as the _Cheater of Rakushou_.

He misses her. His friend, his colleague.

Though war is always more pressing in his attentions and there is always something new to read, he hasn't forgotten Ting Mei. For her sake, he avoided her for years, leaving her to her proposals of marriage and a war-less, empty future. He has never apologized for what he did to her. He took her dreams and crushed them, paraded her like a prisoner of war around the court, and then abandoned her like everyone else did. He wishes that there was a way for him to take the place of the boy speaking with her so casually, so that he can say what he wants to say to the innocent woman he broke.

He should say something. Anything, really.

He turns around and goes to the library.

* * *

Koumei walks down a hallway.

He pauses in front of a door.

He leaves a book laying on the floor in front of the door. It's the newest book of war strategies by Seiryuu Ri, with a note inside written in scribbled, rushed handwriting,

_"They say war is raging all around us, and it's how a good strategist deals with singular battles that determines their worth. But if we follow that logic, I fear I have failed you." _

He walks away.

* * *

He is not able to make Ting Mei a General, or fulfill her dreams of working along side him on the battlefront. But he is able to give her a job as his assistant. For months she writes reports, goes to meetings for him, prepares him meals and helps him dress when he's a hopeless mess of little sleep and knotted hair. They talk about many things. They argue sometimes, but it's not the kind of arguing that makes him shrivel up and shun another person. It's about little things, like, '_yes, you _can_ put a supply route here', _and, _'if you don't like your breakfast, make it yourself!'_

When he is exhausted, and his shoulders are stiff, she massages them with surprisingly adept movements.

On her birthday, he gifts her with a new, fine dress, which she takes to wearing often.

She tells him that she was adopted by the Ting family as a favor for the woman who saved her life when she was young. She also reveals to him she doesn't remember who she is or where she comes from, and was given the name "Mei" because it's common and generic.

One day, he kisses her, and she accepts him.

They cannot be together as husband and wife, he knows this. And, considering her background, he isn't sure he can even make her his concubine. But Ting Mei is his, and though he cannot give her anything in return for the millions of things she gives him, he will make her happy.

_Eight years later, and they are still together. _

* * *

FIN.

Hey y'all! Thanks for reading! Yes, it is a KoumeiXTingMei piece that I wrote bc I really like them together. Also, Ting Mei is going to be show cased in Asad's upcoming arc, so I figured we should have some background to it, right? RIGHT! And I apologize for the somewhat rushed/crappy ending, I'm sorta tired right now and that's the best I could come up with. Thanks for reading, once again!

Got any questions? Something wrong about the chapter? Grammatical errors, something you didn't like? PM me or leave it in the reviews, I will reply and see what I can do to make the story better/clearer for y'all to understand. ILY MY DARLING READERS!

BYE~~~~~~~


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